If you're avoiding reading a book because everyone's already talked about it, and the plot has been blogged to bits, you might want to think again. Reading a book where you already know the plot can still be a personally enjoyable experience if you can accept that the plot spoiler isn't the be all and end all of the book. This article will provide you with a number of ways to work around a spoiled plot so that you can still enjoy the actual read on your own terms.1) Understand what a spoiler is and why it occurs. In terms of a book, a spoiler is something that reveals critical elements of the plot, and often includes the ending. It will usually be parts of a book that would otherwise be surprising for the reader.[1] Reasons for a spoiler might include:
- Reviewing the book and critiquing it.
- Excitement of a reader who wants to share his or her appreciation of or annoyance with the book with others.
- Naïveté of a reader who doesn't believe it will spoil another person's reading of the book, or doesn't realize that you haven't yet read the book.
- A spoilsport who wants to ruin someone else's experience of the book; perhaps someone showing off or just being mean-spirited.
- There will be plenty of parts of the book that you won't yet know. Spoilers are about the most popular, surprising parts of the book. They aren't the whole book and indeed, there may be parts that resonate a great deal more with you than the spoiled parts. But you won't know until you've read it for yourself!
- Expect the funny parts to be original. Spoilers often don't convey the funnier parts of a book well because these are not the surprising twists in the book. And it's actually very hard to convey the precise humor out of a book in a review or by recounting – you kind of have to "be there" to "get it"!
4) Be skeptical about the spoilers that you think you already know. Try not to overthink what you've already been told or your expected reading experience. You might have heard or read a lot of opinions about the plot but that doesn't mean they are either right or representative of what will be your own experience. In fact, you can have a lot of fun reading and thinking about other people's takes on the plot. You might find yourself scoffing, "Whoa! Joe was so wrong about that interpretation of what character X does in this scene! What a load of rot! What really happens is X, Y, and Z!". Consider these points:
- It's possible the person retelling the story doesn't understand the narrative elements or misunderstands the psychological underpinnings and misconstrues what really is going on.
- Narrative devices are not always clearly conveyed by spoilers. For example, you might know about the ending precisely because the author begins at the end and then unfolds the plot as to how the story reaches that ending (a reverse chronology). Or, it might be a case that the story begins in the middle (in media res) and the flashbacks leading up to that point are poorly conveyed by the spoiler. And the spoilers may not have revealed the delightful red herrings strewn throughout the book. There are many narrative devices that won't be fully appreciable until you delve into the book yourself, in spite of spoilers.
- Savor surprises. There still might be something not major in the plot that surprises you, that hasn't been discussed or reviewed.
- Focus on the subjective elements that are in the realm of the reader's interpretation, not that of the reviewer. For this, you would do well to look for such narrative devices as MacGuffins (a prime motivation for a reader that is never adequately explained to the reader), flashbacks and flash-forwards, prophecies, foreshadowings, etc. All of these elements are for your own exploration for a deeper understanding, to be interpreted through your own experience of life and feelings for the characters. You might be pleasantly surprised at how much you differ in opinion about the rationales and outcomes of the book that other people have presumed to be a certain way.
- Don't anticipate the spoiled element coming up, or try to predict when it will happen; maybe the spoiler wasn't even true? Then you will be twice as surprised!
- Relish the fact you know the ending but not the how, a common narrative device in plays such as those by Shakespeare, or movies that begin with the end. You know the ending but you're a lot less certain of how the characters and story get to that ending.
5) Keep in mind that movie plots and book plots frequently diverge and vary in depth. If you have seen a movie version of a book before reading the book, there is even less reason to fret about a spoiled plot. Movies simply do not have the luxury of being able to go into the same level of depth as a book. So, while you may have the general gist from a movie, there are likely to be a lot of surprises and revelations for you when reading the book. Some of the things that might happen include:- A deeper understanding of what has motivated characters - perhaps you have wondered why a movie character has been so one-dimensional; the book read might prove otherwise.
- A different ending from what you expected (movies often change endings for Hollywood preferences).
- Additional characters, scenes, action, etc., that the movie didn't have room for. Of especial interest are those characters that get the chop in the movie but are of added interest in the book.
- Book club meet ups – always expect at least one person to have already read the book and to be ready to spill the beans.[3]
- Book reviews – whether or not a book review will reveal the plot will depend on the purpose for which it is being written. If it is for promoting the book's sales and readership, it is unlikely to give away the plot and ending; if, however, it is for the purpose of critiquing the book (often the case in blogs), it may well reveal the ending and major plot elements. You will need to judge according to the context of the review before reading further. Many reviewers will use the phrase "spoiler alert" if they are about to reveal major elements of the plot or ending. You have been warned!
- Websites – reader reviews, forums, blog posts.
- You see someone with a copy of the book and they're talking about just having finished it – let them know quickly that you don't want to know the ending!
- Think "Titanic" - the movie was based on an event almost a century prior to when the movie was made. Everyone knew how it had to end, and yet it was one of the most popular movies of all time. No spoiler will ever make reading a great story pointless.
- Another recent example: An episode of Doctor Who featured Vincent Van Gogh. Everyone knows who Van Gogh was, and most know that he took his own life at a young age. Yet the story was widely considered one of the best of this series ever, because it wasn't about Van Gogh's death. It was about his life, and it tied into a previous episode in which a regular character leaves the earthly plane; it was about seeing beauty and feeling inadequate despite having tremendous talent, and also about the importance in each of our lives of leaving a legacy and being remembered after we die. A great story is a great story, whether you know what happens in the end or not.
VIDEO
- Book with spoiled plot
SOURCES AND CITATIONS
- Wisegeek, What is a spoiler?, http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-spoiler.htm
- Wisegeek, What is a spoiler?, http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-spoiler.htm
- The Etiquette of Giving Away the Ending, http://bookgroupbuzz.booklistonline.com/2009/01/23/fighting-over-spoils-the-etiquette-of-giving-away-the-ending
- Maria Puente, Want to avoid spoilers? Don't look for them, http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2007-07-17-harry-potter-spoilers_N.htm
