The Reading Challenge Group discussion
A Quest for Answers
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Question 37 - Do you read the end of a book first?
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Never, ever would I read the end first.
OMG NO. :O I actually go look at the last page number, so I can see if I have the right edition on Goodreads, how long approx. it will take me to read, etc. and I do my best not to even PEEK at a contextless word in the last page, hahaha.
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No I start from the very first page and then go on to the end. I think my sister does that but that's it.
Never! Sometimes I even avoid to read the preface or the plot because there could be spoilers.I don't start from the first page but from the cover and gaze at it for a few minutes before starting the book!
Mod
Sandy wrote: "Well, I guess I'm the pervert who sometimes reads the end first. There's one in every crowd! I don't know why. Curious, I guess. :D"Well, you have shocked me into silence, I say!
Holly wrote: "God, Sandy! How could you?! :P"Yeah, how could you, Sandy?!
(Jaw hits the floor)...really Sandy?! Do you do that with every book?
If it is a Mystery that I really like the characters and their relationships more than the mystery itself, yes, I will put my mind to rest to see if my favorite character will make it in the end. Most of the time it does not ruin it for me. I do not do this with all books.Sandy, I understand your curiosity and quit giving Sandy a hard time!!! :D
I have not peeked at the end The Charioteer, Aitziber!
Melissa wrote: "I have not peeked at the end The Charioteer, Aitziber!"Good! If there's a book which ending shouldn't be peeked at, that's The Charioteer!
Mod
I'm with ya, Sandy. I peek!
Life is too short to waste my time on a book with a miserable ending.
But there's different types of peek-age. Sometimes a quick glance to make sure a favorite character makes if to the end. Sometimes it's a full scale search for read-worthiness. Usually I'm content to read about 100 pages "unspoiled" but then I just NEED to know. Complete lack of shame, BTW. :D
I check the number of pages without looking at a single word from the last page. I would never read this end. I hate, hate, hate when you read an introduction or preface and you find spoilers in it, so now I don't read them anymore, or after I've read the book.
I did once check the full plot of a novel online, but it was because I had abandoned it, so I quickly wanted to know what happened without having to read the whole thing.
To be fair to those heretics Renee and Sandy, I find watching TV so time-consuming that I will only invest my free time after ensuring that the show is worth it. To that end, I often completely spoil myself for any and all plot points before I commit to it. So no on books, but definitely a yes on TV.
Mod
Holly wrote: "I'm completely the same in that respect, Aitziber. I'm a bit of a spoiler nut when it comes to TV. I'll spoil anything and everything for myself. It's a bad habit. But I do value tv shows really hi..."Yes, I'm not alone! \o/ It's a habit of mine that confuses my friends, they think I won't enjoy the show when I get to the plot twists. But it actually makes me look forward to watching. Game of Thrones and Looking are two recent shows I watched only after they passed the Spoiler Test.
That said, once I'm genuinely hooked into a show, I'm as much of a spoilerphobe as with books. I refrained from reading anything related to season 2 of Orange is the New Black for months, until I was able to marathon it with a friend. (Coincidentally, that's a show I didn't spoil myself for at all, since I started watching it on a whim with the same friend.)
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Mod
(And I only watch tv shows via DVD, after I've assured myself that they are going to be worth the investment of my time. Then, watch a whole season in a week!)
Never. I always start at the beginning.
Sometimes I'll get too desperate to know what's going on and I open it to a random page and read a couple sentences. Then I usually regret it. Lol.
Sometimes with a thriller I'll get so tied up and tense that I just need to see who lives. But that's fairly rare. It's in my overarching rule about how I read for enjoyment, not for any set rules or the like. If I want to abandon a book or read the last chapter, or whatever, then I will.
Never... Well there was that one time in high school English the night before an exam.
People will throw stones at me, but: I do read the end, but only the last sentence! Sometimes I do it before I start with the first chapter and sometimes I do it when I'm in the middle or near the end. I only read the last sentence (or if it's only one or two words the last two sentences). I would never read the whole last chapter. That one sentence is just to motivate me further (to read the book even faster), because I'm an incredibly curious person who can't go without knowing what happened. There are times when I don't peak and just read the book as it should be read.
I don't usually look to the end of the book. The exception is if a character I love is in a situation where he or she might die and I can't stand not knowing if they make it out alive or not. I look to the back and just see if they say anything later in the book, then I flip back :)
Elise wrote: "I don't usually look to the end of the book. The exception is if a character I love is in a situation where he or she might die and I can't stand not knowing if they make it out alive or not. I loo..."Elise, this is where I take a peek also; the anxiety of a beloved character in peril is too much for me and it isn't worth the lost sleep. :D
I never do. I dont even read spoilers on fb or gr
I read the Wikipedia entry for the book if I feel like there's going to be a plot twist or just can't hold out until the end.
Mod
Right now, I'm finding the Wikipedia page for Wuthering Heights to be particularly helpful. Although I've nearly finished it, at first the characters all got jumbled in my mind. So the family tree that is on there really helped!
As for reading the last pages or large spoilers, I do tend to avoid them. I like a bit of a surprise!
Sometimes I do. I usually look it up on Wikipedia before adding it my TBR list. If a book is dragging on, I'll totally look ahead. I was just reading Ancestors of Avalon and skipped ahead to try to figure out if/when the main characters got back together.
No! I never ever read the ending of the book first. I know some people find it easier to do this but in my opinion it just spoils everything! The reason why I read is to find out what happens and go on the thrill of the unknown until I reach those final pages, why on earth would I (or anyone else) want to spoil and ruin that?? It's just inhuman! lol so but anyway no I do not nor will I ever do that.
Nope did it once it spoiled it so never done it again.
I absolutely never read the end first. I like to be surprised by an ending, I know if I were to read it first I would be over-analyzing every little thing that happens in the book
no I don't. but I'm known to read a couple Amazon reviews first. just to get a hint..I know..I know....
Never. It'd take away the magic and wonder and ruin the book for me.
Not before I start reading - but sometimes I take a quick peek if I get worried a favourite character is in trouble. Then I can either relax - or brace myself.
Personally, I never do, although I sometimes peek at a wikipedia summary of the plot if I'm not sure whether I'll like it.