Hi Everyone!
Today I have a discussion post for you! I've never really done one of these before so I'm excited to talk to you about what I think on the topic of spoilers today!
The first part of this discussion is what constitutes a spoiler and this is a really hard thing to define. There are a few things however that I think are usually spoilers.
1. When a character dies
In some books, this is a plot line and it is mentioned in the blurb and happens either before the novel starts or in the first chapter. In this case, it obviously isn't a spoiler but in most other cases I count this as a pretty major thing.
2. A major plot event
There are a lot of books that reveal secrets about a character's past part way through the novel or something very important happens plot wise which severely impacts the characters and their lives. I also consider these spoilers.
3. Who marries/ gets together with who (IN CERTAIN SENARIOS)
This is a difficult one. in contemporary romance, you absolutely don't want to know who gets together with who but in classics, you probably already know. For example, in Pride and Prejudice, most people know who Elizabeth Bennett falls for! This I don't think is a spoiler because it's more about the how than the who.
My opinion
The second part of this discussion is what I think about giving spoilers. You may have noticed that I am pretty careful about not mentioning spoilers in my reviews. I want to give people the option to find something out by themselves. So if you want to know what happens at the end of Jane Eyre for example, all you have to do is google it! But there are many people who don't want to know and I don't want to force someone into finding out.
I don't like being spoilt at all. I like to find things out for myself and a lot of people say that it's how they get there not what happens that counts, and for certain books I think it's true. Some things are just so well known that it's virtually impossible not to know (like in Pride and Prejudice mentioned above) but in the vast majority of books, you still want that element of surprise, however small.
I also think that the small, unexpected surprises are sometimes the best. When a character makes a decision that you weren't expecting or at what point a new character is introduced, I wouldn't want to know these things!
Does a spoiler SPOIL a book?
No. In my opinion, absolutely not. It may take away from the reading experience but it doesn't mean I can't enjoy a book. If I knew how Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier ends, it would have maybe slightly put me off, but I would still have loved it with all the context behind it. There is a difference of opinion here though!
Why don't I write spoiler reviews?
Unfortunately, I can't write spoiler reviews because to reach older posts you have to scroll through them and I wouldn't want anyone to see something they didn't want to. But I sometimes mention things which you will only understand if you've read the book or know certain things. Sorry!
I hope you've enjoyed this post! I would love to know your thoughts on these points! I'll be back soon!
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