Sometimes, I flip to the back pages of a book to see how it ends. Or if I don't have the next book in a series, I search online for spoilers.
Terrible, right? Especially for a writer, who knows just how much work it takes to carefully craft a storyline leading to an end that's satisfying, but not too predictable.At times I get pretty frustrated with my lack of self-control, and wish I hadn't spoiled a certain ending for myself. But, I would also argue that sometimes it can be a good thing. Because while it's an enjoyable rush to feverishly plow through chapter after chapter to see how a book ends, I also feel like I miss a lot. Once I know how it ends, I can sit back and savor the prose and the intricacies of how the characters make it to that ending.
So will I stop this appalling practice? I'll try, but probably won't succeed :)
Now here's what I want to know: how do YOU feel about spoilers? Does it really bother you when the ending or a plot twist of a book or movie gets spoiled for you, or do you sometimes try to find out the ending ahead of time? Even if you usually avoid spoilers, were there any books you made an exception for, where you just had to find out how it would end?
Either way, I hope you haven't judged me too harshly :)
Thanks for reading!
Laurie
Laurie, I do the same thing (and make no apologies for it!) I read for enjoyment and to escape, and I can't do that if I'm worried I won't get a happy ending. :-)
ReplyDeleteExactly! Thanks for your comment, Jill, it's good to hear I'm not alone!
DeleteLove your confession and I promise you're not the only one who does this :) I would never think to do this, but I totally get why you and other readers would. It just points out you're a sensitive reader (I am also) and maybe you're kind of bracing yourself not to get blindsided type of thing. Some people probably do this with their movies also :)
ReplyDeleteI actually think spoilers are good sometimes and I enjoy reading them in reviews :) If I DON'T want to know about these revelations then I will skip seeing the reviews until I've read or watched the movie entirely. However, what if I want to know about the story without getting my sensitive emotions involved, then God bless the reviewer for posting those spoilers!
You're definitely among friends here, Laurie, thanks for your courageous confession and hugs to you :)
Thanks for commenting, Kara! It's so interesting to hear differing viewpoints on this topic, and it's a relief to know I'm not the only one who sometimes appreciates spoilers :)
DeleteSometimes, I spoil books, especially when I'm afraid the ending won't be happy. This is nice, because then I don't have to read through the rest of the book when I know I'm not going to like it anyways. However, sometimes it's irritating when a book gets spoiled when I don't want it to. (Like when my younger brother spoiled the Harry Potter books for me.)
ReplyDeleteThat's a great point - while I sometimes spoil books for myself, I don't like it when other people spoil it for me! Thanks for commenting, Spruce!
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