How to Enjoy a Spoiled Plot Book

Understand what a spoiler is and why it occurs. In terms of a book, a spoiler is something that reveals critical elements of the plot, and often includes the ending. It will usually be parts of a book that would otherwise be surprising for the reader.^[1] Reasons for a spoiler might include:

• Reviewing the book and critiquing it.
• Excitement of a reader who wants to share his or her appreciation of or annoyance with the book with others.
• Naïveté of a reader who doesn't believe it will spoil another person's reading of the book, or doesn't realize that you haven't yet read the book.
• A spoilsport who wants to ruin someone else's experience of the book; perhaps someone showing off or just being mean-spirited.

Start reading. Part of the problem may well be that you simply won't start the book because a voice in your head keeps insisting that it's not worth the effort. Stop listening to that voice, start reading, and let your reaction to the first chapter or so be the real test of whether or not you want to continue reading. Chances are, if the book is good, you will be compelled to keep reading even though you know the plot or a key element.

Expect to enjoy the book. Since it's clearly already popular and well talked about, there will be a lot to enjoy throughout the book, and it's important to keep in mind that books can still be enjoyed even if you know how it ends or know the "big twist". You already know what happened, but you can still probably read to figure out why and how it happened. And no matter how much you have already heard, it won't ever be possible to truly grasp the manner in which the book is written and how it comes across in tone and narrative until you are personally reading it.

• There will be plenty of parts of the book that you won't yet know. Spoilers are about the most popular, surprising parts of the book. They aren't the whole book and indeed, there may be parts that resonate a great deal more with you than the spoiled parts. But you won't know until you've read it for yourself!
• Expect the funny parts to be original. Spoilers often don't convey the funnier parts of a book well because these are not the surprising twists in the book. And it's actually very hard to convey the precise humor out of a book in a review or by recounting – you kind of have to "be there" to "get it"!

Be skeptical about the spoilers that you think you already know. Try not to overthink what you've already been told or your expected reading experience. You might have heard or read a lot of opinions about the plot but that doesn't mean they are either right or representative of what will be your own experience. In fact, you can have a lot of fun reading and thinking about other people's takes on the plot. You might find yourself scoffing, "Whoa! Joe was so wrong about that interpretation of what character X does in this scene! What a load of rot! What really happens is X, Y, and Z!". Consider these points:

• It's possible the person retelling the story doesn't understand the narrative elements or misunderstands the psychological underpinnings and misconstrues what really is going on.
• Narrative devices are not always clearly conveyed by spoilers. For example, you might know about the ending precisely because the author begins at the end and then unfolds the plot as to how the story reaches that ending (a reverse chronology). Or, it might be a case that the story begins in the middle (in media res) and the flashbacks leading up to that point are poorly conveyed by the spoiler. And the spoilers may not have revealed the delightful red herrings strewn throughout the book. There are many narrative devices that won't be fully appreciable until you delve into the book yourself, in spite of spoilers.
• Savor surprises. There still might be something not major in the plot that surprises you, that hasn't been discussed or reviewed.
• Focus on the subjective elements that are in the realm of the reader's interpretation, not that of the reviewer. For this, you would do well to look for such narrative devices as MacGuffins (a prime motivation for a reader that is never adequately explained to the reader), flashbacks and flash-forwards, prophecies, foreshadowing, etc. All of these elements are for your own exploration for a deeper understanding, to be interpreted through your own experience of life and feelings for the characters. You might be pleasantly surprised at how much you differ in opinion about the rationales and outcomes of the book that other people have presumed to be a certain way.
• Don't anticipate the spoiled element coming up, or try to predict when it will happen; maybe the spoiler wasn't even true? Then you will be twice as surprised!
• Relish the fact you know the ending but not the how, a common narrative device in plays such as those by Shakespeare, or movies that begin with the end. You know the ending but you're a lot less certain of how the characters and story get to that ending.

Keep in mind that movie plots and book plots frequently diverge and vary in depth. If you have seen a movie version of a book before reading the book, there is even less reason to fret about a spoiled plot. Movies simply do not have the luxury of being able to go into the same level of depth as a book. So, while you may have the general gist from a movie, there are likely to be a lot of surprises and revelations for you when reading the book. Some of the things that might happen include:

• A deeper understanding of what has motivated characters - perhaps you have wondered why a movie character has been so one-dimensional; the book read might prove otherwise.
• A different ending from what you expected (movies often change endings for Hollywood preferences).
• Additional characters, scenes, action, etc., that the movie didn't have room for. Of especial interest are those characters that get the chop in the movie but are of added interest in the book.

Be someone who loves spoilers. There are people who thrive on spoilers as a way to inform them before they start reading, as a form of incentive!^[2] Knowing what the ending is and how the plot unfurls can sometimes be a way of avoiding unpleasant surprises, or be a form of motivating your reading. There are various websites devoted to spoilers, which provide a discussion point for people who like spoilers, which can be a reason of itself to enjoy spoilers as you get to argue the finer points or even veracity of spoilers with others online.

Avoid times when you might be confronted by spoilers. There are some occasions when you're more likely to be exposed to spoilers than normal:

• Book club meet ups – always expect at least one person to have already read the book and to be ready to spill the beans.
• Book reviews – whether or not a book review will reveal the plot will depend on the purpose for which it is being written. If it is for promoting the book's sales and readership, it is unlikely to give away the plot and ending; if, however, it is for the purpose of critiquing the book (often the case in blogs), it may well reveal the ending and major plot elements. You will need to judge according to the context of the review before reading further. Many reviewers will use the phrase "spoiler alert" if they are about to reveal major elements of the plot or ending. You have been warned!
• Websites – reader reviews, forums, blog posts.
• You see someone with a copy of the book and they're talking about just having finished it – let them know quickly that you don't want to know the ending!

Don't go looking for spoilers online.^[3] While there are many opportunities to find out what a book's contents are, if you have the slightest peek at spoiler sites or reviews, you only have yourself to blame!