August 10, 2011

Spoilers are a good thing?

Click to embiggen.
This story on physorg is about a study coming out next week in Psychology Today. It says that spoilers don't ruin the pleasure of reading a book -- even when it's a detective story or a suspense novel! In fact, they go on to say that spoilers can enhance the reader's experience. Well, I don't believe a word of that.

I don't know about you, but I never read the blurbs on the backs of books -- I just go by the cover and author. They tell you way too much on those back covers. The blurbs themselves are spoilers. I hate that.

The topic of spoilers is especially interesting to me because there is no way to talk about Xmas Carol without ruining the book for readers. Its very nature is a spoiler.

Anyway, read the story and see what you think. As for me, I will continue along my chosen path, avoiding spoilers at every turn. And I hope readers will treat it this way too. If they pass the book on to a friend, they should just say "Read this. It's fun."

4 comments:

Anna Guess Pick said...

"Perhaps," they write, "birthday presents are better when wrapped in cellophane..."

I have to agree with my buddy Keith on this one, I don't like spoilers either. And to add another layer to this cake I don't like movie or book hype (+/-).

Give me the title, who's starring and leave it at that. Let me watch or read and decide if I like it all on my own. Because in the end I am the final critic for me.

That being said I bet hardly a day goes by I don't mention to someone "Oh this is really good..."

writenow said...

Hear, hear. And you know, I wonder if the trick of this study is that it's true, but only for stupid readers. And maybe that's why book blurbs do this: to attract dimwitted readers. They'd have to be really dumb so they'd forget the spoiler as they read the book. This type of reader might even be surprised -- even though they already knew the surprising thing. Could be.

Anna Guess Pick said...

Just had to add this little note. Most of the books that I buy comes from hearing the authors interviewed. As you know I am a big Charlie Rose fan - I hope he gets a commission because I have bought a ton of books after he has interviewed the author. I do it for books I read and for books I gift. Authors have a keen sense about what to say about their books and what not to say. No need for middleman 'hypes'.

writenow said...

I agree totally. I've bought a ton of books after hearing authors talk about them. I guess authors should do YouTube promotions, huh? I'd hate that.