Books
Do you like to be spoiled?
by sassymonkey

Spoilers - you either love them and seek them out with a passion or you scream and flee at the mere mention of them. Be they for books, movies or television shows people have either a love them or loath them attitude. I've been thinking about spoilers a lot lately. In particular I've been wonder this - is there a statue of limitations on spoilers? And isn't it mostly our own job to avoid them?

Perhaps one of the downfalls of living in a global world is that there isn't really always a lot of surprise. Take sweeps or season finales on television for example, or perhaps just a normal night of Must See TV. It never fails that at least one place on the internet I'll see someone on the west coast decry the east coasters that liveblog/twitter/whatever their reactions to what they are seeing. Personally I just accept that as a matter of course. If I don't want to know what's going on I simply put on my internet blinders (despite the fact that I live on the east coast many of my friends and my family live on Newfoundland and Atlantic time so they still get stuff before me).

But what about books, particularly those big summer book releases? It's been two years since the final Harry Potter book was published. I set my alarm so that I could get up at midnight to buy it and then stay up late and read it. In actuality I went and bought it, read two chapters and then promptly fell asleep. When I got up the next morning I studiously avoided everything on the internet except my email. My email was safe as no one who emails me was likely to have finished it before I would. After I checked my email I ran out to a local bakery, where again I was pretty sure I'd be safe as it was 8am on a Saturday morning and the book had not yet been released in French (I was living in Montreal at the time). I did see a couple of people there reading it, but no one was very far. Once I got home I settled in with my pastries and coffee and read until I was finished. Then it was safe to go on the internet again. When I finished I purposefully wrote posts here on BlogHer.com and on my personal blog that did not contain spoilers and asked readers to do the same. I've never gone back and discussed what happened in the books. It's been two years since then. If I were to write an in-depth post about what did and did not happen, would I be spoiling things? If I were to say here, "Bob Smith died" would I be spoiling something? (Note: to my knowledge there is no character named Bob Smith in the Harry Potter series).

What about Twilight? The final book in the series came out last summer. Contributing Editor Nordette recently wrote a post here called Twilight And The Return of Courtly Love. In that post she revealed some things that happened in the final book. After a member pointed this out Nordette amended the title to contain "potential spoiler." A year after publication would you have thought to do this?

Dan Brown's much anticipated The Lost Symbol is being released this fall. Since I'm on a list of survey participants for one of Canada's largest bookstore chains I know that they are considering holding a midnight party for it. I'm fully expecting spoiler alerts and spoiler watches from everyone when it comes out.

In one sense I was lucky I hadn't already been spoiled when I sat down to read that final Harry Potter since The New York Times had so notoriously spoiled it for many people when they managed to get their hands on a copy early and reviewed it with major spoilers prior to the release. In my opinion, it was just plain mean. I purchased the final book in the Twilight series because I was trying to avoid spoilers. And well, I won't be reading Dan Brown's newest but I know my best friend is going to be running around with her fingers stuck in her ears telling everyone not to tell her what happens, while simultaneously trying to find out from me what I've heard about it. (Don't worry, I won't tell her anything.) Likewise when Suzanne Collins' Catching Fire comes out it will be awhile before my library has it (and there are advance copies already out there) so I'll be running around with my fingers in my ears too. At I will be when I don't stop to ask people, "Was it good? Don't tell me what happened, but was it good?"

But what I find perhaps perplexing about myself is this - while I LOATHE book spoilers I rather love television ones. I'll even seek them out or order my friends to tell me what happened if I missed an episode. Or I'll just go read the Television Without Pity forums. Sometimes I'll even go and read spoiler websites. It doesn't really make any sense to me. The best I can figure it is that books for me are an experience, and when I experience them for the first time I really want to do it without knowing what's going to happen. That's what has me rushing through the final chapters of many books because I must know what happens immediately, and then I end up and going back and rereading the final chapters a time or two (well, only if it's a particularly good book). When it comes to television I'm a pretty fickle viewer. I rebel against having to schedule my downtime (I know, I know, Tivo, PVR, etc, - meh). So when I'm looking up spoilers I'm actually looking for reason to watch the show.

Robin at Romancing the Blog likes to be spoiled.

I don’t remember the last time I made it through a book without skipping ahead. Sometimes it’s a peek at the ending, but often it’s a leafing back and further, an impatience with what’s going on now and a need to have my curiosity satisfied or my questions answered right now. So is it any surprise that I have no problem with spoilers in book reviews?

On the other side of the fence, Literary Feline does not like spoilers, but she once asked to be with amusing results.

The only time I am okay with hearing or reading a book spoiler is when I ask for it. And in this instance, I truly wanted to know what the outcome would be. I put forth the question to two of my online reading groups:
I was wondering if anyone here has read Homer's Odyssey and would be willing to e-mail me and spoil the ending?
I went on to explain that I was considering reading it, but that there are certain types of animal-focused books I would rather not read, particularly if the animal dies in the end.

If you want to avoid spoilers Helen Thornber says stay away from Twitter.

But despite my aversion to spoilers I don’t think you can blame people for tweeting them. If you want to remain in ignorance then the question is what do you want to do more? To tweet? or to have some Twitter free time and be surprised? It is just another method in a long line of media allowing people to comment and chat about what is happening on TV and in movies as they hit our screens.

So what about you, do you like to be spoiled?

Contributing Editor Sassymonkey also blogs at Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.

Submitted by sassymonkey (view blog) on Mon, 07/13/2009 - 2:11pm

Comments

 

Yes

I am in the impatient camp. I always read the end of a book first, even when I was still reading detectives, I want to know the winners of contests so mostly I don't have to watch the drawn out finale.

I hate wasting time, so tell me now. Knowing the ending doesn't spoil a book or movie for me, it allows me not to rush to the ending but enjoy the experience.  

Wilma Ham

www.wilmasblog.com

Submitted by Wilma Ham on Mon, 07/13/2009 - 14:53
 

Peeking at the end of the book

There have been times when I've been tempted but I don't think I've actually ever done it. I think it would just make things worse if I peeked to the end. It would be like one of those books that has a prologue that is a flash-forward to the climax and then in the first chapter you start way back at the beginning. Those books are horrible/wonderful because I cannot stop reading until I get to that point. I'd still rush to get there. I'm not so good with the whole patience thing. lol

Edit: I just realized I totally lied. I didn't mean to. lol I will sometimes peek ahead if I'm about 50 pages into a book and seriously considering giving it up. If it looks like it's going to get better I might not give it up. If it doesn't, I probably will.

Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.

Submitted by sassymonkey on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 04:31
 

I go back and forth

It depends on whether I am watching/reading something new or something that's been out for a while.

If it's not new, I'll likely have been spoiled already -- at least enough to get me intrigued. And I watch or read armed with the awareness I may be spoiled, so I don't let it get to me. (Totally don't understand people crying "spoiled" for books and shows well past their release date.)

But it influences my choices: Does this show/book seem like something I really want to read "clean" and new? Or can I wait to rent/download/read in paperback?

But like Wilma, I'm not that bothered if I know. I am a compulsive rereader too (a whole other discussion, right?).

Submitted by Honeybeast on Mon, 07/13/2009 - 15:16
 

Are there two different kinds of spoiled?

If you hear about a spoiler and it actually makes you want to read the book are you really spoiled? Or is spoiled only when it is upsetting to find out what happens? Is one incentive and the other spoiled? Hmmmmmmmmm, I'm going to pondering that half the day now.

I absolutely hear you on the choice between reading something clean versus waiting. For me it's usually the choice between buying it and getting it from the library. My library is a bit slow about getting new releases out so it can be weeks (sometimes months) after the release date before I get a "new" book, even if I'm at the top of the list.

Rereading is another discussion entirely. I'm rather compulsive about it myself.

Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.

Submitted by sassymonkey on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 04:40
 

Boo to Spoilers

Ha!  I had a similar experience with the last Harry Potter.  I hadn't planned on reading it immediately because I was in the middle of another book, but on the day it came out I saw 10 people reading it in one subway car!   My extreme fear of spoilers forced me to hop off at the next stop, sprint to the closest Borders and get my hands on Harry.

I also do not believe there is a statute of limitations on spoilers.  My boyfriend recently told me what happens at the end of Sophie's Choice.  I almost dumped him!

Anna B

http://positivelyanna.blogspot.com/

Submitted by PositivelyAnna on Mon, 07/13/2009 - 18:25
 

Ok, I have a question for you

Now, like Megan I'd never tell someone the end of Sophie's Choice or The Sixth Sense directly. But if I was blogging about them I quite possibly might mention it as part of a larger discussion. Now if you just happened upon that post would it make you upset?

Because, for me, the thing about a movie like Sophie's Choice is that it opens up a whole mammoth-sized world of discussions that you can't really have until you discuss it openly. Similarly if you wanted to discuss the battle of good and evil in Harry Potter you can't not mention what happens at the end now. Can you?

Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.

Submitted by sassymonkey on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 04:44
 

You are right!

If we are going to discuss, lets discuss!  No point in trying to really delve into any story if you can't talk about the ending.  If you were writing a post about a story that I didn't know they ending of I would avoid the post.

I LOVE a good story.  Would I have not read Harry Potter if I knew what happened at the end, probably not.  Will I avoid literary genius like Sophie's Choice because I know what she choses.  No.  But I think we can both agree that spoiling the ending does take away some of the magic of a great story. 

Anna B

http://positivelyanna.blogspot.com/

Submitted by PositivelyAnna on Thu, 07/16/2009 - 18:26
 

I like spoilers, but not being spoiled
inadvertently

I sort of like spoilers, but I also like having the option to avoid them. I think it's courteous, in the heat of a new TV episode / book / movie to avoid discussing details in such a way that someone could accidentally come across them. As a West Coaster, for instance, when I'm on Twitter at 6:15pm and someone writes a detailed tweet about a TV episode that won't air in my time zone for hours my nose is sort of bent out of joint. I've learned to avoid it, but I don't always remember. After all, I'm thinking dinner at that time, not primetime TV.

But I will sometimes seek them out, which I think is fine. If I have to go looking and click on a few links then it's my choice. I'm not being spoiled against my will, as it were.

~ Amber

www.strocel.com

Submitted by AmberS on Mon, 07/13/2009 - 19:47
 

I have a question for you too!

Regarding twitter - do you ever Twitter your reactions to a television show while you are watching it?

I'm not entirely sure how anyone can avoid being spoiled these days when they are on the internet. I've seen people complain as much as 24hrs later that they've been spoiled because they Tivoed it but hadn't watched it yet and people were talking about it.

Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.

Submitted by sassymonkey on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 04:58
 

Hate, Hate, Hate Spoilers!

I really hate spoilers!  Television, movies, books.  Unless I'm certain I won't see or read something, I never ask someone to tell me what happened.

And when it comes to shows like "24," or "Lost," I'm rabid when it comes to avoiding spoilers.  I never, ever watch the weekly coming attractions and I often only read the review after I've watched an episode.

I do however think there's a statute of limitations.  If I know someone is about to watch "The Sixth Sense" or "Sophie's Choice" I won't tell them what happened, but if I'm writing something about "The Sixth Sense" or "Sophie's Choice" and it's important that I say what happens, I won't feel the need to put a spoiler alert.

But it's up to me to try and avoid spoilers, especially if it's something everyone is talking about like a Harry Potter book or a bit TV season finale.  I know I better get myself to the bookstore at midnight and read the book, or watch the episode immediately or risk having someone tell me something I don't want to know.

Thanks for a great post on a very relevant pop culture topic.

Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/Online Video

Megan's Minute 

Submitted by Megan Smith on Mon, 07/13/2009 - 19:49
 

You don't watch the coming attractions?!

Wow! You really don't want to know anything!

I'm like you. I kind of figure that if I haven't make reading/watching something a priority I'm almost asking to be spoiled.

Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.

Submitted by sassymonkey on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 05:05
 

The Problem With Coming Attractions

The problem with coming attractions is if I've seen them, as I'm watching the episode, I can always tell what's going to happen because I remember a particular scene in the promos.  Can't stand that.

Or how about the movie trailers that tell you the whole movie?  Many times I've sat there saying, why am I going to see this movie?  You just told me the whole plot, including the ending!

And finally one comment on reviews.  I did a review of "Drop Dead Diva"  the other day, but before I watched the screener I hadn't read any of the publicity notes.  I actually thought it might be a reality show so I really went into it cold.  

Because of that I was pleasantly surprised at what happens in the beginning of the episode to set up what turned out to be a comedy/drama.  However, when writing the review I felt I had to say what happened in those first few minutes exactly because it does set up the show. 

I assume that if someone is reading the review they want to know what the show's premise is.  And in that particular case, I felt it was my job to tell them.  

But of course I don't then tell all the rest of the plot points in the entire episode.  It's an interesting dilemma.

Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/Online Video

Megan's Minute 

Submitted by Megan Smith on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 08:19
 

And these days

Not to get all Andy Rooney on the subject, but I swear coming attractions these days reveal everything about a movie.

One of the most evil T-shirts I have ever seen reveals all the endings of all the most classic twisty films. Ouch.

Submitted by Honeybeast on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 08:26
 

trailers

I know! What is it with that. So many trailers are like mini sumaries of the movie.  You really dont need to see the film.  Often that's just as well though as I know what to avoid.

Submitted by mashadutoit on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 12:22
 

Absolutely cannot deal with spoilers

I am so bad that I usually cannot even read the blurb.  I need to be a complete virgin when starting a story.  As to reading the ending - I shudder in horror even at the thought.  I dont need to be in control of a book when I read it - I need to lose control.  Its my drug!

It does make it tricky if you are writing reviews though.  Its not always possible to put "spoiler alert" everywhere, and often its almost impossible to discus a book or movie without revealing plot surprises.  But on the other hand, I find it does make me a better reviewer.  Quite apart from spoilers, I simply hate review which are just a summary of the plot.  "and then.  And then."  I can read, you know!  What I'm after in a book review is a personal response.  A comparison, maybe.

I was once at a film festival where a geust speaker was introducing the movie we were about to see (Cold Comfort Farm).  First off, she told us all about another movie she just saw - "Face Off". Which had nothing to do with Cold Comfort Farm, and she did not draw any links.  She basically summarised the plot.  Then she started with Cold Comfort Farm.  "Well its about a girl who goes to a ...and then...and then..." and she started telling us the plot.  The audience started rumbling and pretty soon there were shouts of "Hey!"  "Enough already".  So they thankfully made her shut up before she said too much.  That must be the worst public speaker I've ever encountered :P

Submitted by mashadutoit on Mon, 07/13/2009 - 23:32
 

That's the sticky things with reviews

You don't want to say too much, but you don't want to just give the plot basics and then you run the risk of saying absolutely nothing at all. I think it takes a special talent to be able to write a good, interesting review that doesn't give away too much.

I tend to say that I don't write "proper" reviews. I write my experience/reaction to the book, which sadly sometimes can be summed up as "meh." Sometimes, for certain books, I'm able to pull something akin to a proper review out of my brain but even those tend to be pretty personal.

And ha! Cold Comfort Farm is actually a book I've been meaning to read for oh a few years now. It's been sitting on my shelf staring at me.

Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.

Submitted by sassymonkey on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 05:09
 

Oh

I did not know it was a book.  Some books to aquire a sort of inertia, which increases every time some one tells you to read it. Why is that?

I think that the problem comes because I am trying to do two things at once.  Review for people who might want to read.  And have a interesting conversation about the book, now that Ive read it.  My father gets the New York Review of Books, the Times Literary Suplement, and the London Review of Books.  What heaven!  And the idea there is very much that once you have read the review, you almost dont need to read the book.  The reviewer has done such an excellent job of distilling and picking apart the arguments...

You know - another strange thing is that I MUCH prefer reading reviews of books I have already read.  Its not so much about spoilers (although there is that) as reading a review of a book I dont know about is a bit like watching some one else eat a meal.  And once I've read it, I love knowing what other people thought.

 

Submitted by mashadutoit on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 05:23
 

It is indeed

And I hadn't heard of Cold Comfort Farm at all until I started seeing jokes about it on book blogs. Something to do with, "There's no butter in hell!" I'm sure it will make more sense and be far more amusing once I've actually read it.

I think the inertia is because there are just so. many. books. out there and more and more just keep being published. For me, when someone tells me directly that I need to read a book or when I see many people being amused by it on book blogs, it increased the need to read value much more than a standard book review. Everyone one knows we have limited book reading time so when they tell me I *need* to read something I pay attention. It may still take me a long time to read it but that's a whole other thing isn't it?

Hmm I think I'll have to schedule a rereading post soon. We seem to have some avid rereaders (myself included).

Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.

Submitted by sassymonkey on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 05:46
 

Spoil Me

 I don't mind spoilers, but if I had a particular concern, I'd definitely consider it"my" problem, not every other person on the internet's problem.

I saw a tweet the other day where someone said she'd unfollow people who posted about Big Brother before she had a chance to watch it. I kind of thought she should just turn off Twitter if she didn't want to see any spoilers!

I don't like to be told the end of a movie or book, but if I find out by accident I don't hold it against the person who let the info out!

 

Laurie, mom of 3 boys and

blogger about my VA business and my life as a work at home mom!

Submitted by Laurie_Halo Secretarial on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 09:03
 

I've seen a lot of tweets like that

They always tend to make me shake my head a little.

Like you I don't mind if I'm told the end of something by accident. But if someone tells me the end on purpose I tend to get very, very cranky.

Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.

Submitted by sassymonkey on Wed, 07/15/2009 - 04:52
 

And then of course there's this

It's a "comedy post" though a lot of people on Twitter today believed it: Man Commits Suicide after Harry Potter Spoilers
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andy-borowitz/man-commits-suicide-after_b_...

Submitted by Honeybeast on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 11:10
 

I Had To Read It Twice

I had to read it twice to see it was a comedy post.  These days you just never know.

Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/Online Video

Megan's Minute 

Submitted by Megan Smith on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 11:14
 

I did, too actually

Had a couple seconds of "that's horrible, but how did he avoid the book?" before catching the tiny tag on the post.

Submitted by Honeybeast on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 11:17
 

I wonder how long until

We see that cited as one of the reasons why Harry Potter books and movies should be banned from schools and libraries?

Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.

Submitted by sassymonkey on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 11:22
 

You Mean Besides The Fact That...

You mean besides the fact that they're written by Satan!

Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/Online Video

Megan's Minute 

Submitted by Megan Smith on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 11:24
 

Exactly what I mean

This is just more proof you know! ;-)

Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.

Submitted by sassymonkey on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 11:57
 

Spoilers rarely bother me

Sometimes I will even seek them out or read the endings of books first.

I have the tagline "Consider this a permanent spoiler alert" at the top of my pop culture blog because I don't want to have to censor myself with every possible situation for all time. Because anything you write can end up being a spoiler for someone. For instance, with the Sixth Sense without ever seeing the twist revealed directly, I was able to guess it just from the ambient discussion. I still enjoyed the film when I finally saw it but I understand how it could spoil it for many.

I was glad I didn't follow American Idol this season, though, because without even trying, just by being on the internet, I saw the winner announced 5 times before it aired here. The most egregious was the news headlines linked in my email inbox that named the winner in the headline as soon as it was announced on the east coast. Truly sad that logging on to email can result in getting a spoiler. So I've learned that if I really don't want a spoiler, unfortunately it means avoiding the internet.

I do make an effort to avoid revealing specifics on twitter but, other than while something is airing on television, or before a book or film is released, I think it is the responsibility of the person who doesn't want to be spoiled to make an effort to avoid them. Don't want to be spoiled for Harry Potter, Twilight or something sitting on your TIVO? Don't read posts about them until you read or watch. Plus I find that "spoiler alert" at the start of the sentence when you are revealing the spoiler doesn't help me because I've already started reading the spoiler before it registers and would stop me. There are just too many genies out there that it is futile to demand they be put back in their bottles.

BlogHer Contributing Editor
PopConsumer
Beyond Help

Submitted by Maria Niles on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 12:16
 

Spoiler alerts

I find they work in the title of a blog post, assuming the very first sentence isn't a spoiler. Or if there aren't any spoilers in the first paragraph really. But spoiler alerts don't work for me at all on Twitter. Or even emails.

Most of the time spoilers don't bother me, unless it's something that I've really been looking forward to such as a Harry Potter release. (And I still think it was really mean of the New York Times to have published the spoilers before the book was released.)

Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.

Submitted by sassymonkey on Wed, 07/15/2009 - 05:40