Aussie Readers discussion
Book Related Banter
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Do you read the ending of books first?
Mod
Fair enough. As long as you're enjoying your reading Laura, that's the main thing:)
I have a friend who always reads the last chapter at the begining. I cannot stand thsat she does it. I could never do that. The worst I get is flipping to the back to see how many pages there are. I hate myself if I accidentally read even a word or two. I think that if I ever did do it, I would not have any motivationto read the wbole thing then.
Mod
I did this for the first time just recently with a book called The Long Dark Road, a book about a young Mother in China, as the book started to get quite dark for lack of a better word and I felt that I might not be able to continue reading it. I scanned through the pages and then read part of the last chapter and it helped me to decide to continue with the book. I am glad I did and finished it. Even though dark and unpleasant in parts I was a good read.
Never! Never! Never! Reading the end of a book would completely ruin it for me. I know that my mother always did this because she had a problem putting books down and this helped her to do it.
Guilty! Not always -- but if I'm reading a really good book I can't bear to put it down without knowing what happens. So I start skipping great chunks of story to get to the end, so I have a vague idea of how the story ends. Later I go back and reread from where I started skipping.This can get very confusing! I'm not sure then if something's already happened in the story's timeline, or if I've just read it when I was skipping ahead. Yet even though I promise myself I'll stop doing it, I can't resist. Just one little peek! And before I know it two hours have passed.
I don't do it when I read on the Kindle, since skipping ahead is harder to do. So I find reading on the Kindle a much more focused experience.
Sometimes I'm my own worst enemy!
Reading the ending first almost defeats the purpose of reading the book in the first place.You might as well go and print yourself a t-shirt that says SPOILER ALERT!
If your purpose is to be surprised by aspects of the story, then I could see that reading the ending would defeat YOUR purpose. If spoilers bother you, then don't do it. For me, however, enjoyment of the reading experience is my purpose. If anxiety about the ending is interfering with my enjoyment of the book, then I will check the ending to reassure myself that the book turns out OK. I can then read the book with greater enjoyment. The other reason I sometimes have for skipping ahead is when I really have not been wowed by a book that others have highly recommended. I look ahead to see if something there will hook me better than the first part of the book. Sometimes, it does, so I carry on through the part that isn't that great for me, so I can get to the better part. Other times, like with Terry Pratchett, I just conclude that this writing simply isn't my cup of tea and I give it up.
If it's excruciatingly boring book, then yes.
Elaine wrote: "OMG!!! Never. On the very rare ocassions I might accidentally see something on the last page of a book I'm reading I'm totally mortified and wish I could take it back!!!"I'm with you Elaine! I skimmed to the end of a book last month as I was on my way to bookclub and had 20 pages to go .. but I still had to "read fast" rather than just read the end. Each to their own though.
Mod
Phrynne wrote: "I often do the "fast reading" thing when a book is really bad. Just to make it to the end before I die from irritation."There's a big difference between skim-reading and just skipping to the end, though.
As a writer, I think I'd be offended if someone read the end of my books first. I spent months (possibly years) writing this thing to make it the way I envisioned, to elicit a specific response from the reader at certain points, and to be read in order - and you're basically saying "Nope I'll read the way I wanna read, screw your carefully crafted narrative".
LauraW wrote: "Other times, like with Terry Pratchett, I just conclude that this writing simply isn't my cup of tea and I give it up. "
I'm glad I'm not the only person who doesn't think Terry Pratchett is some fantasy/sci-fi comedy Jesus.
Mod
If it's excruciatingly boring I put it away - no point in even reading the ending for me!
Mod
If it's excruciatingly boring I put it away - no point in even reading the ending for me!"
That's true.
Brenda wrote: "Stan wrote: "If it's excruciatingly boring book, then yes."If it's excruciatingly boring I put it away - no point in even reading the ending for me!"
Same here. If the author can't convince me to read his or her book past the first 50 pages, I am certainly not going to bother seeing what happens.
If I'm intrigued by a plot/mystery but the writing is so appalling I am about to give up on the book, I might check out the ending just to see whodunit then discard. If I'm loving it, I would NEVER flip to the ending. The thrill is NOT knowing and trying to solve as you go.
Liam wrote: "Phrynne wrote: "I often do the "fast reading" thing when a book is really bad. Just to make it to the end before I die from irritation."There's a big difference between skim-reading and just skip..."
Excellent point Liam and I totally agree with you. Don't read Pratchett though so can't comment on that. :)
I'm a Terry Prachett disc world fan. But sadly his last couple have missed the mark. I know he has Alzheimer's and has an assistant helping him filling in the blanks but I think he should have just left it while he was in total control. I remember listening to one of his disc world stories being read by Tony Robinson as we were driving South one year. We were both laughing so much we had to pull over the side of the road and calm down before driving on.
Speaking of listening books - can't flick to the ending with them - ebooks are hard to flick as well :)
Mod
Totally agree with you about Terry Pratchett Sally. I still remember reading The Color of Magic for the first time and being absolutely delighted which his humour and the wonderful world he has created.
Just imagine if we had read the epilogue of The Husband's Secret
!!! I am glad I never do this. I want to get the experience as the author intended it. I know my Mum does it occasionally: I just dropped off Husband's Secret to her and TOLD HER in no uncertain terms not to jump ahead or she would BE SORRY!!!
Marianne wrote: "Just imagine if we had read the epilogue of The Husband's Secret !!! I am glad I never do this. I want to get the experience as the author i..."Yes, I thought the epilogue was very clever, but it certainly would have been rather anti-climactic to have read that part-way through and would definitely have ruined the atmosphere of the rest of the book!! But I listened to this on audiobook, so skipping ahead to the ending was certainly not going to be an easy option with that mode of reading! And I don't do that any more anyway!
Mod
!!! I am glad I never do this. I want to get the experience as the author i..."That would totally ruin it Marianne - I hope your Mum does as she's told;)
lol ita certainly weird for me to look at the end of the book..sometimes if its really a good book i wish it never ends :)
Yes. In most books I read I just flick though to the good parts that I really want to read, then I start reading from the part that I was up to.
oh wow :)..isn't that like eating the dessert and then coming back to your main course? lol..
Kathryn wrote: I listened to this on audiobook, so skipping ahead to the ending was certainly not going to be an easy option with that mode of reading!You make a good point, Kathryn. Now that I am approx 75% Kindle vs 25% paperback, I think I have got my habit of peeking at the end of the book a bit more under control. Of course I could still do it with the Kindle, but it's not as easy.
never! nope! can't!As a writer I am horrified by this and didn't realise this was actually a "thing" until a girl purchased a book of mine and flipped straight to the last 2 pages and began reading right in front of me. I slapped the book shut and informed her: "that's not how I intended the book to be read." To which she responded: "I've bought it so I can read it how I like." I nearly refunded her money. Nearly.
Climaxes and endings are supposed to reward the reader for putting in the time and effort to journey with the author. Why dilute your own satisfaction? Twists mean more if you don't see them coming. Betrayals hit harder if you can develop an emotional connection to that character. Conflict resolution is better when you know the conflict. Deaths are only meaningful if you know their cost. Happy endings are only truly felt if you've endured the hardships with the character.
It's easy to point the magical pen at a character and say "your next" (ro die, fight, fall in love etc) but months and years are put in to the story to make sure all the foreshadowing and nuances between characters are done in such a way to invoke the greatest feeling within the reader at the time of the big reveal. My latest book is designed to keep the reader in suspense until literally the last sentence, but that line means nothing without the 200 odd pages preceding it.
Mod
Thanks, Dane, I'm with you 100%. A book is crafted by the author (taking months/years to do it) to present in a certain way, and who am I, as a mere reader, to say, no, I think this way would be better. First I read from start to finish. I get the full effect as intended. Then I can criticise if it doesn't do it for me. I hate to ruin the effect the author is trying to create; I hate when people try to tell me the ending!!
Mod
Ditto!!!
Dane wrote: "never! nope! can't!As a writer I am horrified by this and didn't realise this was actually a "thing" until a girl purchased a book of mine and flipped straight to the last 2 pages and began readi..."
Very well explained Dane :)
Never...no way. That would be like telling the punch line before you tell the joke.
Mod
That would be like telling the punch line before you tell the joke."
Great comparison Julie:)
No way, do you watch the ending of movies. Why spoil the story for yourself I reckon though it is tempting as you read further
No, on the grounds that if the author had wanted me to do that, she/he would have put the end at the front.
Every time I start a book I enter into a sort-of contract with the author (although this is solely in my own head.) I agree to suspend judgement and to allow the writer's words and ideas to occupy my mind as they tell their story to me. This takes the shape of an elegant pas de deux. I need to give the author the time and space to develop their narrative. So there is no way in a million years I would ever abort that process by reading the ending first.
Dane wrote: "never! nope! can't!As a writer I am horrified by this and didn't realise this was actually a "thing" until a girl purchased a book of mine and flipped straight to the last 2 pages and began readi..."
Agree with all of this Dane. Never ever read the ending first. Occasionally if it is a book not holding my interest I will read the end but that is because I know I am NOT going to read the rest of the book.
I never ever read the end of a book first. To do that would spoil the whole book for me.
Valentia wrote: "yes i do like i recently did it with The Last Battle
and The Boy in the Striped Pajamas"
How did reading the ending of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas go, Valentia? The friend who lent it to me wouldn't even tell me what it was about(!) - and there was no blurb on the book - and in retrospect, I can see why, and I am fairly sure that reading the ending of the book first would have spoiled the impact for me. How did you enjoy it?
Kathryn wrote: "Valentia wrote: "yes i do like i recently did it with The Last Battle
and The Boy in the Striped Pajamas"
How did reading the ending of [book:The Boy in the Striped Pa..."
i new what happend even though i never saw the movie before
sometimes i read the last sentance of a story first
Valentia wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "Valentia wrote: "yes i do like i recently did it with The Last Battle
and The Boy in the Striped Pajamas"
How did reading the ending of [book:The Boy i..."
I am definitely glad I didn't know what happened until the end with that one!!
Mod
I love that comment Peter! So agree with you:)
Mary wrote: "Every time I start a book I enter into a sort-of contract with the author (although this is solely in my own head.) I agree to suspend judgement and to allow the writer's words and ideas to occupy ..."That is a great way to think Mary
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Needless to say I managed to grow out of this habit as I think it would ruin a lot of books for me nowadays!