Here we are once again with the question of “What makes good literature?”
Stanley Fish of the New York Times recently wrote, in essence, that a book whose intrigue relies on suspense alone has little merit (Somewhat ironically: see the concluding paragraph of his Op-Ed). This was in response to criticisms of his column on The Hunger Games, wherein he revealed some plot points of the later books in the trilogy.
Fish’s response of “What Do Spoilers Spoil?” sparked some intense responses. And so we are apparently divided into two camps: Those who flip to the last page of a book first, and those who consider such an act blasphemy.
Stanley Fish makes a number of points to defend his spoiler-ridden column, citing the difference in experiences for first-time readers and re-readers, how knowledge of the plot can actually enhance your reading experience; also the Paradox of Suspense, how one can experience feelings of suspense despite knowing what happens (e.g. watching any episode of Buffy, as the next demon threatens the lives of Buffy and the gang, and you’re worried for the Scoobies even though you know there are still four more seasons of the show left for you to watch on Netflix [and worry you should, as Joss takes pleasure in killing the ones we love, but that’s beside the point]). ANYWAY, while Fish’s article can come off as mere self-justification, he makes some good points, though spoiler fore-knowledge is different from re-reading fore-knowledge.
Well.
A few months ago, I raced to finish the first Hunger Games book before the movie came out and then proceeded to give my reflections on the movie’s portrayal of the book at home after dinner. My brother, from across the house, my loan of the first book in his hands, requested that I not talk so loudly and then proceeded to retreat upstairs so he couldn’t hear me. I wasn’t even giving any spoilers. He argued that it wasn’t plot spoilers alone that he wanted to avoid, but that he wanted to come at the book with an entirely clean slate, so that he could experience the book entirely for the first time. Explained this way, I could empathize. This is how I prefer to approach most musical theater. My father will listen to the soundtrack beforehand, but I want to hear the music for the first time in context, live. There is something to be said for entering into an artistic experience completely blind to get a true first impression.
As for which camp I belong to—to take my own metaphor for spoiler lovers literally—I will not deny that I have on occasion turned to that last page and read the very last sentence of a book. However, I often gleaned little of the meaning whatsoever from this exercise. But it was sometimes fun to then reach that sentence again, this time with the light of understanding and find the mystery revealed. Try reading that last sentence of The Great Gatsby, “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” What can you make of that before having read the entirety of the novel?
While we’re on the topic of The Great Gatsby, I just finished re-reading it since I first read it in high school six years ago. I remember some of the plot, but not all. But what I did know, I did enjoy knowing. It allowed me to see significance in a scene or a sentence that would have been mostly lost on me the first time around. This proves, for me, Fish’s point on re-reading (though it still somewhat different to recall parts of a story than having plot points told to you).
But as for actual plot spoilers, personally I often try to avoid them, for I see little reason to purposefully skip ahead, especially if I really care about the story (whereas with Bones, the tension in the show was so on-going that I just had to know if Bones and Booth would ever get together…and then when they did it was an utter disappointment, but not because I “spoiled” it). But in general I make an effort to take it in stride when I stumble upon undesired fore-knowledge.
1. The knowledge can’t be taken back, so why bemoan it?
2. I still take much pleasure in finding out what happens to get to the spoiled event. Sure, Dumbledore dies (sorry), but that information means nothing without the five Ws.
For a spoiler lover’s opinion, read this.
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