By Shari Randall
Spoiler alert. Those warnings are ubiquitous nowadays. We just wrapped up the Olympics, where the difference in time zones made watching television or reading the news a minefield for anyone who wanted to be surprised by the outcome of an athletic event.
I even heard “spoiler alert” at a recent book club meeting. Half the group had finished the book —a bestselling literary novel— and the other half hadn’t. The group voted to not talk about the ending in order to avoid spoiling it for those who hadn’t read to the end. I was the only dissenter. (full disclosure – it was a very book clubby book, by which I mean it wouldn’t have been so popular if the main character hadn’t survived, nay, triumphed, against the odds and lived to fight for justice another day. I was correct and I admit, I wasn’t a fan of the ending. It would’ve been much more realistic and enjoyable to me if the author had killed off the protagonist. Sorry, I digress.)
In general, I don’t mind knowing how a novel ends. As a reader —and a writer— I find it enjoyable to see how the author weaves the story line into a satisfying conclusion.
But if the club’s choice had been a whodunit or work known for a big twist…I definitely wouldn’t have wanted the ending spoiled. Imagine the ire heaped on any book club member who spoiled the twist of Gone Girl or The Murder of Roger Ackroyd? What would your friends say if you spoiled the ending of The Sixth Sense or The Prestige or Murder on the Orient Express?
There was an article about spoilers in Psychology Today by a professor who studies decision making. You can read it here.
A group was given short stories to read. Some were given the story plus the ending. Then researchers asked if having the ending ruined their pleasure in the story. The outcome? Most of the study’s subjects said it didn’t.
My fellow mystery reading fans will immediately see the flaw in the construction of this study.
How many of the study’s subjects were mystery readers?
The team ran the experiment again, with a different group of subjects. This time the results were different. Ha! We know why. The group must have included mystery readers who read for the pleasure of puzzling out the clues to how-, why-, or whodunit. The study’s organizers posit there is a group with a higher “need for cognition” who like to figure out the story for themselves. (read: mystery fans)
The mystery reader reads because – what were Sherlock Holmes words? — “My mind rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram, or the most intricate analysis, and I am in my own proper atmosphere. But I abhor the dull routine of existence. I crave for mental exaltation.”
What do you think about spoilers? Do spoilers bother you or do they heighten your pleasure in a story?
Shari Randall is the author of the Lobster Shack Mystery Series. Her debut, Curses, Boiled Again, won an Agatha Award for Best First Novel. Writing as Meri Allen, Shari has debuted a new series, the Ice Cream Shop mysteries. Yes, she enjoyed every bit of delicious research for these books.
I don't want to know the ending. However, if a book club schedules a book, the group should discuss the entire book. If someone didn't finish reading, that's on them. Any discussion of a book without including how its ending affected the entirety of the work is an incomplete discussion.
ReplyDeleteNot that I have an opinion on the subject, or anything.
No spoilers for me, Shari!
ReplyDeleteHi Jim, I agree. We writers labor over those endings!
ReplyDeleteHi Susan, Same here. I opened a floodgate the other day with people talking about different books and movies that had been spoiled by a reviewer or "friend" spoiling the ending. Yikes!
ReplyDeleteI hate spoilers, but scheduled book club discussions should proceed with the expectation that everyone has finished the book. My book club is on zoom, so it would be easy enough to mute for a spoiler alert.
ReplyDeleteGotta tell ya, I knew the ending of the Sixth Sense from the inciting incident. Even then, it was interesting to see how the script developed so the spoiler didn’t ruin anything. Same with books. I prefer not to have spoilers, but if I do, that’s fine and I pluck the threads as I read to determine if the ending is supported.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jim and Margaret about book clubs -- send those who haven't finished the book into the kitchen with extra cake, and talk about the book at will! I prefer no spoilers but I do love talking in length about a movie or book I've loved. I recall searching for anyone who'd seen Parasite after I'd watched it so we could discuss! LOL.
ReplyDeleteHi Margaret, that's another benefit of Zoom meetings!
ReplyDeleteHi Kait,
ReplyDeleteNow I want to rewatch The Sixth Sense to see what I missed.I was probably fussing with my popcorn at the beginning of the movie!
Hi Korina, it is so much fun to find a book or movie to discuss with another enthusiast! That's why finding a good bookclub with like minded readers is so important - when you find the right one, it's so good.
ReplyDeletePS Parasite is on my TBW.
Since I seldom try to figure out the ending, even in a mystery, spoilers don't bother me that much. But it is fun to sometimes get a real shocker. I have to admit I totally missed the ending and did have to go back & see The Sixth Sense again.
ReplyDeleteI don't like spoilers, especially for movies. With books, I might continue to read for sheer pleasure. With films, I don't want to invest the time if I already know the ending.
ReplyDelete