Should I read the backstory of The Force Awakens before watching it?

I'm the type of person that will watch movies based on recommendations. I always try to avoid trailers because I like not knowing what I will see until I actually watch the movie.

So far, I've avoided The Force Awakens trailers and any info about it because I'm excited for the surprises awaiting me. But others I know that are also excited for this movie already know the backstory and the characters in this movie. I don't know anything about the characters or storyline. Should I read a summary or some kind of foreground before I watch the movie? I want to make sure I don't miss out on something important, but I don't want to ruin any potential surprises.

TIA and I can't wait to see this movie!