• Teaches you better grammar, expands your vocabulary, gives inspiration;
• helps you learn foreign languages;
• Lots, if not most, fantasy books provide real world commentary through allegories and such;

These things come right off the top of my head. Other than these, I have to agree, sort of. Fantasy books are mainly there for escapism, just like movies, games, etc.

while I can see where some of the introspection can get ‘tacky’ or faux at times, i think on the other hand theres great work taken by the author to make his points line up correctly and serve to deepen our understanding of the characters and the way they behave and act toward one another. for ex. >! i love the ending passages about his father and the table (i drew comparisons of him being given a table in lieu of a home, and an abusive father in lieu of a caring dad) both also seemingly all his mother and grandma could give at the time. i think this also lends itself to the passages where he describes how he learned to appreciate things for what they were, and too see the ‘good’ in the littlest of things, because everything else was so shit in hartford. i also love the metaphor of cows, meateating, and veals being used to describe the nuance of internalized homophobia and closeted homosexuality, and how it then extends to the relationship of the main characters mother!<

I really couldn't get into this book. It felt like something you would read on Tumblr or wattpad.

The audiobook was even worse. The fake almost-about-to-burst-into-tears-wobbly-morning-voice narration was like fingers on a chalk board

That's what I was curious about, I guess

im planning on it ! thanks for letting me know about them

I thought it was way too schmaltzy. Maybe I'm too cynical but it was not my taste and thought it was very "im14andthisisdeep".

Actual quotes from the book:

>!"I know, it's not fair that the word laughter is trapped inside slaughter"!<

>!"The day was a purple day - neither good or bad"!<

>!He also whispers to a jolly rancher "tell me what you know."!<

>!"To be or not to be. That is the question. A question, yes, but not a choice."!<

>!"Our hands empty except for our hands."!<

>!"Isn’t that the saddest thing in the world, Ma? A comma forced to be a period?"!<

>!"The truth is we don't have to die if we don't feel like it. Just kidding."!<

It's on my kindle, but I haven't gotten to it yet. 👍

gonna put it on my list thanks

I haven’t had a chance yet today, but I will look for the study.

I’ve read Christie’s books multiple times. My enjoyment of books doesn’t come from not knowing but from good writing, cleverness, plot, characterization, world-building, etc. It would never occur to me that people reading Christie, who first published in 1920, would have no knowledge of what the plots of her books were, even if they hadn’t been actively interested in her works before reading. She is discussed in secondary schools and universities, she is part of some reading curriculums. She is discussed when other mystery writers are discussed. The expectation exists that one does not have to warn against plot points for novels published 46 to 102 years ago.

I was an editor. Typically, books that are older are considered already “spoiled”. They’ve been out for years, and the information on what happens in them is widely available in critiques, literary, newspaper, and magazine reviews, internet content, radio plays of the past, television, films, and plays, so there is considered no reason to try to keep spoilers out of forwards and such, and no reason for a warning, since consumers should have the expectation that information that has already been revealed in multiple ways in multiple places could also be covered in this place. Book backs and inside blurbs also often give the outcome on editions that were published years ago. One was just shown of Pride and Prejudice on a different sub I’m on.

I think it’s an unreasonable expectation that the rest of the world contain spoilers on older books. I try hard in personal reviews to hide or not give away spoilers on new books, because one can still read those without having major plot points or spoilers revealed; but there can be no such expectation in older works.

The worst I've had myself was the audiobooks of the Lensman series, by E. E. "Doc" Smith. It's old classic sci-fi, which I like, but I'd never read that series. I saw the whole thing was available on audiobook, and went ahead and got them all. I started listening in the car, as I drove to work.

They started reading the preface/introduction/whatever, and talking about the author, and how the story inspired other space opera, and the Green Lantern comic books, which I knew, and then just casually talked about the plot of not just the first book, but the whole damned series. Like "This happens in book one, and it looks like it's resolved when that happens, but this comes back in book 2, and it gets resolved like this. But then, in book 3, this other thing happens, and it's tied to this thing in book one, and that doesn't get resolved until this character from book 2 does this thing in book 4, and ..."

If I wanted that, I'd have read the Cliff's Notes, not bought the book. And it's an audiobook, so skipping the introduction isn't really an option, particularly while I'm driving. What the hell were they thinking? I mean, it's early pulp space opera, so you know most of the stuff that's going to happen is just "The protagonist is the best of the best at anything he tries, and science can do anything", but you shouldn't know the details before they happen.

This book is wonderful. I’d suggest finding some interviews where he talks about it as well — he’s so eloquent and I love hearing how he thinks about the world.

I absolutely loved this book. The author is a poet, and his writing is so lovely. I’m glad you enjoyed it too!

Experienced this recently with Nevil Shute's A Town Like Alice. It wasn't even the preface, asthe synopsis on the back of the book just matter-of-factly spoils one of the biggest surprises in the book. And this isn't like the first chapter or anything. The reveal happens close to halfway through the book. If it hadn't been spoiled, I would've been hugely affected by the reveal. Ridiculous.

The location of the text on the page.

So far the trailers seem to follow the book pretty closely. I know there are changes but I really don't see the story working as well if you take that out. Plus in the newer trailer there's a brief scene where you see Andrew and Eric outside with a plane falling from the sky. It is shot low so that doesn't necessarily mean they're alone... I really don't know. Just the fact I'm excited for a Shyamalan movie is odd. To think he won't mess it up is a little too much to wrap my head around. If it was a more consistent director/writer I would say it's definitely going to happen. With M. Night behind it... I guess we'll see.

That is really a very small spoiler given the scope of the entire trilogy.

I read an article a few weeks ago that made it very clear that the movie will be an adaptation and that there will be significant changes.

This was one of my DNF books last year, I didn't want to spend the week reading about a family being terrorized. The previews of the movie make me wonder if I should have given it more of a chance. I stopped when the strangers knocked on the door.

Like scenes from a movie but more immersive.

That book was written in 1985, so while it may not be a classic where everyone is expected to have heard the story, it's still old enough that people writing about it, aren't going to be too concerned about spoilers.

Many of the books that I’ve read with prefaces are largely plot-independent. But many of my favorite books are kind of plotless masterpieces of writing, not so much storytelling. I think if a book is really worth your time, then it should be rereadable. Otherwise, why does it really need prefacing?

we had murder of roger ackroyd in our syllabus last sem and my teacher spoiled the book in the second lecture itself 💀 he was just giving an intro lol

When I remember something from a book, I remember the words. "Teasing him about it was a corporate pass time the rest of the year." From, The Cat Who Robbed a Bank by Lilian Jackson Braun.

Yeah..I am reading Lonesome Dove currently also and this happened to me :( so glad I got myself spoiled on major plotlines....last time I read an intro by the author for sure.

Text, atmosphere, emotions. No images. I do not form 'images' in my mind while reading, I'm just reading words.

As someone with aphantasia, I recall the text.