Spoiling it, for yourself.

TheAntar said:

The whole point of reading the book is to enjoy ending.

Why would you spoil it? Unless you've decided not to finish said book, reading the ending is like checking the credit card statement in November so you don't have to wait for Christmas morning to find out your presents. Talk about ruining some of the best of life's moments. Sheesh.

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Some of us disagree that the point of reading the book is to enjoy the ending! That's only one of the pleasures of reading.

I loved Octavian Nothing for the total immersion in a pre-revolutionary-war and revolutionary-war setting, for the beautiful language, for the anger bubbling under the surface, for its rigorous development of the themes of liberty and hypocrisy and the way we interpret our own history.

I loved Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian for its anger and its humor and the way they were woven together, and for its absolutely believable teen-boy voice.

I loved The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks for its incisive observations and commentary on our "post-feminist" society and the subtle ways it still manages to work against women having power; I also loved the pranks.

(It's a month before the election, I'm sorry, I'm coming up with all these political books!)

In a book where the plotting is really rigorous and twisty, and one of the book's great strengths, then I can see where it's a pity to spoil yourself. When Harry Potter 7 came out, I did my level best to stay away from all spoilers! Where there's a mystery at the center of a book, I can see where it's a pity to spoil yourself.

But... a novel is like a scavenger hunt through a beautiful city. You might be completely focused on finding a cheese shop that has a particular cheese, or a skein of bamboo yarn, or a shop that's been in business since before 1800 - you might be totally focused on finding the clues and getting the prizes - but the real POINT is for you to explore, to see things you'd never seen before, to go off the beaten path of Crate & Barrel and Barnes & Noble.

The novelist is trying to lead you through an exploration of character and setting and theme, and in some ways - this isn't true for every novel, but it's true for some - the narrative drive, the desire to find out what happens at the end, is just the bait. So I really don't think that a novel can be reduced to finding out what happens at the end.

jennifer75 said:

I like how you managed NOT to spoil the ending for me - the only person who HASN'T read HP's books yet. Thanks!

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I haven't read them yet. And when the heck is the last one coming out in paperback already?? Cripes.

I've had pretty much everything important in them spoiled already though, since when you're online it's kind of hard to avoid HP spoilers unless you wear blinders, but the way I see it, all the best stuff is probably in the writing that people didn't bother talking about. It's all about the journey and not the destination, and all that jazz. Or something.

I do it. Pretty frequently, in fact.

Here's the real issue - anyone can surprise a reader. Cheap plot gimmicks are a dime a dozen. But you know you've got the really good stuff on your hands when you can reread it, hit the plot gimmick, and feel the exact same depth of emotional response to what's happening even though you knew it was coming. THAT is good writing. Understanding how they did that, how they could manufacture something that could inspire such feeling every single time, is really important in becoming a writer, I think. My reasoning is below, and you can read if you want. It got sort of lengthy.

One of my professors drilled it into me in class that, for class, you should never read for plot.

This has become a serious concept for me, as a writer. The idea was that if you read for plot you often overlook a lot of the deeper structures of the novel. Instead of seeing what the writer was doing, you were only looking at what the writer wanted you to see and think about. A lot of the subtler stuff, and by nature a lot of the more important stuff, was happening at the seams, nudging you along, changing your worldview, and you weren’t aware that it was happening because you wanted to find out who the Duchess was sleeping with. (Answer: everyone.)

I do tend to think that a real step in reading a book as a writer is not caring about plot, or not having an issue in spoiling it for yourself. I don’t think that you have to spoil it every time, but it does lend the story more to study if you know where it’s going. I think rereading works just as well. You’re seeing a craft in action as they build something around you, only this time you know what it is.

It's all about the journey and not the destination, and all that jazz. Or something.

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Or yeah. That.

When I get in my car and drive off down the highway, I know where I'm going. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy the journey.

With reading, if I know the end, sometimes I can slow down my reading and enjoy the journey more. I'm not very good at waiting, so when I'm in a hurry to read, I'm sure I miss things. It's easier to flip to the end so I'm not in a hurried rush anymore.

Two threads going on at the same time. Both involving readers judging each other. Mystified at the other.

Can't we just accept that we are all different and read things in different ways? I know many are just discussing the whys, which is cool, but why add the judgment into it?

I guess I am a very lucky person. I never felt obligated as either a reader or a writer. I knew I was free to do whatever I darn well felt like with a book and there was nothing anyone could do about it. I could skip bits, read the same chapter over and over, no one was going to come and tell me, "Excuse me miss, you have violated reading code # 234, I'm afraid you are going to have to come with us."

I've always felt the exact same way as a writer. I never felt I needed to ask if I was "allowed" to do something.

It's interesting to analyse why we do what we do, but please, can we keep the judgment out of it? It's just reading, people. It's not world peace.

I've never read the ending of a novel first. Honestly, never. I'm not that kind of person. I have a friend who does and it takes all my willpower not to judge her (or hit over the head with a crowbar). Not so because she does it, but because she tells me about it. I shall try to be a better, less judgemental person in future. Thanks for the reminder, Toothpaste.

I only glance at the end when I'm seriously emotionally involved with a character and I want to know that they get the ending I want them to get (positive or negative), otherwise, I don't want to finish reading the book.

I don't do it often, but I've never felt that it's "spoiled" the book for me. I like having the guarantee of a satisfying ending before I get there.

Hey Jen!

I have never read the ending & being the freak that I am, I won't even read the back cover anymore. I don't like anything being given away. I have favorite authors and will just read anything from them. I am working my way through AW's list & have yet to be disappointed. I'm a "judge the book by the cover" gal. I picked up "Time Traveler's Wife" at a thrift shop cause it looked like a cool book

I'm not a present shaker either though

I have read the last page a few times, and been more compelled to read it then, because I had no idea how the ending fitted in with what I had already read.