No spoilers.
Finished book 7 last night. Not so much out of a fanaticism for the material - but only because of the perfect storm of being six books into an enjoyable series that is omnipresent in the current media.
Odds were good that some TV/Internet wag will "push the envelope" and reveal the plot.
My track record in avoiding spoilers has been abysmal. I have a good memory and I cross-index well. With movies, I'm the guy that replays the trailer while I'm watching the movie - to check to see if all the scenes have happened yet.
"Hey, [actor X's] character can't be gone - they haven't said that line from the trailer yet!"
Roger Ebert famously revealed the secret of the Crying Game on TV, and he was a total jerkwad for doing so, but frankly it was only one more step worse that what the rest of the media were doing.
How many times did we hear about the "big shocker" of that movie? A person like me hears that and ends up spending the entire moving looking for the surprise, instead of just watching the damn movie.
It's a distraction. The best stories I've ever experience were total surprises, ones I happened onto.
With Harry Potter - there was no chance you could just happen onto it, and there is no possibility of avoiding all the coverage.
So I went flat out and read it. Because I can't stand a spoiled story.
Big media? Do your worst, you're too late.
8 comments:
NPR was running a story on the book this morning. I heard about 10 words before the radio was put on mute for the duration of the piece. Did anyone catch that? Were there spoilers?
I just read it on their site, and I'd say there are some oblique references that (if you are like me) could get your wheels spinning on a few plot points.
No real spoilers, but if you're a purist - I'd stay away.
Damn you...with your vague references and superior knowledge. Received the book today...while at work. I'm concentrating other things until I can sit down and do the book justice, but until then...it mocks me.
Tell me...are their nuns in this one? And they have a horrible accident?
: P
I suppose I doth protest too much, but really - I would have been perfectly happy reading this book on a normal timeline - but the spoiler fear had me buying a copy (that I will return) simply because the version I ordered online won't be here for days.
This isn't where I thought I'd be with this series - but here I am, I guess.
Serious reaction to spoilage
That’s weird. That exact scenario was one of my motivating thoughts behind buying a book early. At the time, I thought I was being irrational – but with people like that around, I guess there’s never enough paranoia.
It’s one think to let something slip, it’s worse to do an Ebert and arrogantly assume that part of your job is to publicly comment on all aspects of a story – but to MAKE A TEE SHIRT so you can ruin the story for anyone within eyeshot?
“I’d like to go to the front of the jerkwad line, please…”
When I saw Star Wars I, during the opening trailers somebody yelled into the theatre two major plot points (that, fortunately, were only decipherable after the movie) and even that jerk doesn’t approach the level of this stupid woman.
Errg!
So, what did you think of the book? Like the ending?
It's hard to discuss the book without giving stuff away, but I enjoyed the book.
Rushing to read it sort of diminishes the experience - it would have been preferable to have a leisurely week or so to take my time - but I just knew I'd have it ruined for me.
Better read it in a blur than have some twonk with a Tee shirt give away the ending.
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