I don’t remember the last time I made it through a book without skipping ahead. Sometimes it’s a peek at the ending, but often it’s a leafing back and further, an impatience with what’s going on now and a need to have my curiosity satisfied or my questions answered right now. So is it any surprise that I have no problem with spoilers in book reviews?
Apparently, though, plenty of people do, including Alice Hoffman, whose anger at a reviewer’s revelation of plot details led to a very personally nasty, line-crossing call to arms against the reviewer. And then Ron Hogan opened up the question on Twitter: why should we be so concerned about plot spoilers in reviews (I’m paraphrasing here)? Isn’t a review a critical exercise, after all?
Well, I certainly think so. I love reading conversations among people who have read books I haven’t. It’s a pleasure watching someone wind their way analytically through a book, pondering its complexities, weighing its prose, measuring its success on a variety of levels. Sometimes, the more I know about a book the more inclined I am to read it. A coy review so often leaves me uninterested except for works by those authors I already know and trust or books that have already been circling on my radar.
Five years ago, I would have been very uncompromising in my belief that reviewing is part of the larger critical discourse on books and that no plot point should be held sacred in talking about books, even in reviews. Now that I review in a community of commercial fiction readers and authors, though, I try to balance my own convictions about book talk and a) the preferences of readers who do not want to be spoiled by a review, and b) authors who would prefer that spoilers not be offered in reviews, at least not without warning labels or masking. In fact, sometimes the most time consuming aspect of writing a review is figuring out how to work around these spoiler points – that is, how to make my substantive critiques without revealing something that is meant to surprise or give essentially timed information to the reader.
But even that can be fraught with trouble, because everyone has a different idea of what a spoiler is and isn’t. And then there are the character spoilers – details about a character that bear on the story but may not be revealed until one is well into the book. How does one hide those while still being able to talk meaningfully about how and why a book did and didn’t work for the reviewer? I have decided for my own reviews that if something is in the blurb, it’s not a spoiler, since it’s a public statement on the book (literally!) from the publisher. Although I know that sometimes authors object to what is written in the blurb, so that is not a problem-free approach, either.
Ultimately, I try to focus on plot summary around the way the story is set up and then shift into analysis, avoiding as many revelatory pieces of the plot or characters as I can (although I am probably more likely to spoil something about a character, since those details are so often more difficult to get around). Sometimes I just need a spoiler, and sometimes I am afraid that what I don’t see as a spoiler will be read that way by others. But I can’t bring myself to plaster warnings all over my reviews when I don’t think I’m spoiling the plot. Perhaps it’s a leftover stubbornness, a resistance to serving any particular master when I’m writing a review. Every review is a balance between respecting what the author wrote, what the reader should or shouldn’t know going in, and what I need to reveal in order to make my points about the book. And it is a difficult balance to achieve, and one that I sometimes feel is not well served by what I choose to withhold or reveal.
But how about you: how much plot and character background do you like to see in a review (or do you use in writing a review), and what’s the line across which you feel spoiled? Do you think it’s fair for reviewers to spoil the plot of a book if they warn or mask the spoiler, or do you think some things should be off limits? And what, if any, is the proper response from an author who believes that a review reveals too much about his or her book?
Related posts:
I absolutely loathe to be spoiled, for anything. I spent the entire 3 months prior to the last Harry Potter book avoiding most of the internet and not opening emails I didn’t know, and going LA LA LA a lot to the TV and radio. I’m not talking about the BIG STUFF like Dumbledore dies (sorry, world, didn’t you know?) but even something simple like “Harry has a new pet this book” or something. I read a lot of series books and this stuff is something I want to find out WHEN I READ THEM.
as to reviews, I don’t want the reviewer to go into any more spoilerific detail than is already on the blurb. It’s perfectly possible to do a thorough review without revealing the plot, but too many sites don’t have this skill and all they seem to do is precis the entire plot followed by “i liked this book” (or not)
There was a major furore here in the UK when they were reviewing (on radio) the final book in the His Dark Materials trilogy and The Final Plot Point was revealed which upset a lot of people, including me who hadn’t read it. It really took the edge and enjoyment off the book knowing what Lara had to do in the end.
As to an AUTHOR’S response? The author shouldn’t reply to a review unless it’s “thank you”
I’m usually careful not to reveal spoilers in my reviews UNLESS not knowing that spoiler will disappoint readers. One clear example of this is the recent trend to ’sneak’ paranormal elements into what is being marketed as a straight historical romance.
If the hero spends most of the novel as a ghost and the book is being sold as a straight historical romance then I am betraying MY review readers by not sharing this detail.
Oh, and if the novel is being marketed as a romance, I WILL mention if there is no happy ending.
My rule is that if readers will get upset not knowing a plot point before buying the book, I will mention that plot point.
I don’t even like to read front flap copy. I don’t like knowing what’s coming up. (Hence, my penchant for mysteries).
Heck, I had a terrible time writing the blurb for my first book because I didn’t want to give anything away. But I realized that the ‘held up at gunpoint’ happened on page 6, so it wasn’t a big deal if a reader knew it was coming. But I still hated doing it.
If a reviewer gives away plot points, I would hope they’d at least mention that before divulging it. But if they don’t — I’d grit my teeth and move on. After all, there are, I understand, people out there who actually read the ending FIRST!
LOL I read the ending first, Terry.
If your book consists entirely of spoilers than reviewers have a choice. They either share some spoilers OR they don’t talk about the book at all. That holds true for readers (because many readers ‘review’ books orally to friends) also.
Me? I’d rather risk some spoilers (early on in the novel) in order to recommend the book.
I don’t consider my books to have any spoilers. There is no one plot point or twist that will ‘ruin’ the book if readers know it. As long as the reviewer doesn’t give away ALL my plot points (making it the world’s longest review), then I’m okay with it.
I read nothing but the cover copy. That’s it. I want to know absolutely zero. But then I won’t go into a movie that’s already started, or read movie reviews either. I want the reading / watching experience to be completely new from page one to The End. Probably why I don’t reread books either.
I’m with you on that one. I don’t even want to watch television series if I miss an episode. That’s a great way to free up time!
As a blogging book reviewer, I summarize to about half-way. I’ve disagreed on what plot points to reveal.
*I’m trying to ‘hook’ the reader too!*
The fact is I don’t get paid, except for free ARCs. My goal is to help readers find the books they’ll love. I canNOT read a book I don’t love or like. And I communicate a lot with readers. So, I know a thing or two about what they like. If I think revealing a plot point will turn them onto a good book, then I’m going to reveal it. If an author doesn’t like that, I’ll change it. However, I know my blog readers pretty well. Hopefully, an author will consider that I know them a lot better than he does. But, I leave that up to the author and I don’t take offense. It’s his loss.
I’m consistantly amazed by how little publishing professionals think book reviewers know about readers.
I’m stunned book reviewers are considered the enemy by a lot of authors.
That’s okay. The fact is, I don’t have to read and review your books. My blog readers don’t even need to know you exist.
It is true. The thing some authors don’t understand is that reviewers have faithful readers also. These readers know what we, as reviewers, like. They read our reviews because either they have similar tastes and buy everything we recommend OR they have opposite tastes and buy everything we don’t like.
The most important thing is that we are consistent, not what the actual grading is.
I would be some pissed if a reviewer revealed a major plot point that I’d spent months and months agonizing over to get just right, that I cleverly hid, and foreshadowed so at the end the reader was stunned or shocked.
For me, I don’t like spoilers. I want to find out when the characters find out. That is part of the reading enjoyment.
As for proper author behavior…I think that’s in the hands of the author.
I like having my review be a complete small synopsis. I like to know what the story is about and where its going, so I’ll be interested in reading it. I don’t mind the spoiler, after all its the writing and storytelling that draws me in. There are times, I’ve read negative reviews on books I already had and still loved the book. Everything is subjective. I take that into account. If I love the author and am familiar with their work, reviews, usually mean very little to me. But as a budding author, I think a author should be able to give an apporpriate response to a negative review. After all it is their work, so why can’t they defend it!
As authors your work is very public, and everyone has a opinion, like they have some other orifice in their body. And we all have a right to that opinion. When I’m published, the way I’ll deal with it, I’ll just not read the reviews.
I think major plot surprises or spoiler twists should be left out of reviews. I know personally two such spoiler reviews on books I was looking forward to reading have left me dissatisfied and unable to read said novels. I’m sure I’ll get around to reading them eventually (I’d already bought the books), but the reviews ruined my enthusiasm.
Agreed. I was all set to read Fight Club and I’d actively avoided all references to it, then was ambushed on Twitter by someone who gave away the twist.
Now I don’t want to read it.
I very rarely read books for which I have read in-depth reviews (especially if include spoilers). It’s not that I hate being spoiled or that I have strong feelings either way; it’s that I feel like I’ve already read the book, so why bother?
I try to avoid book reviews of books I want to read like the plague. If it happens that I do read a review, no, I won’t buy or read the book.
However. If the review talks about aspects of the book that intrigue me, but don’t actually spoil the STORY for me, yes, I’ll buy the book and read it.
That’s a very fine line to walk.
I truly detest spoilers in reviews, especially if books (and films) are new releases. I don’t even like spoilers in reviews of old books and films.
I think a typical review is different from an analysis. If it’s to analyse a novel or film, there would be an assumption that readers have already read the book (or seen the film), which means spoilers are fine.
With typical reviews, it’s a different ball altogether because it’s about respecting readers’ right to anticipation. Put out enough details to interest readers, but not so much that it could spoil their anticipation.
Great post! I think about this a lot myself.
I think the question of what it is ok to reveal hangs on two variables, one of which is your understanding of what you are doing when you write a review, and the other on what counts a spoiler.
I don’t like spoilers, and I appreciate the efforts reviewers take to avoid them.
It’s funny, I have thought about what I owe to other readers in this context (i.e. not spoiling them) but I have never thought I might owe it to an author not to spoil.
Will think about it, but my inclination is to say I do not owe authors a spoiler free review. I cannot see where that obligation would be generated, except by some tacit agreement I may have made to write a review partly or wholly for the purpose of promoting the author’s book, and then, only if revealing spoilers in some sense harms the promotional effort. I don’t write reviews for that purpose, so I don’t see an obligation to authors to avoid spoilers, while I do see one to fellow readers.
I don’t feel a strong direct obligation to the author, but because I blog at a venue with other reader reviewers, and because I get books to review because of that venue, out of respect to my fellow bloggers and to the blog’s readers, I am much more conscious of what I see as a certain norm in the Romance community regarding unannounced/unmarked book spoilers in reviews.
And I am willing to conform for the most part to that norm because it doesn’t represent a significant sacrifice of my ability to talk critically about a book in a review (and in comments it’s much easier to tag a spoiler but still reference and discuss it, IMO).
Great topic!
I re-read books all the time and even when I know how it comes out, I still get tense at the high points of a good book. For that reason, spoilers don’t tend to bother me all that much. But that’s just me, and it’s not fair to extrapolate that to other readers.
But I do think it’s better not to reveal major twists when the review can be written without sacrificing the integrity of the review.
In my opinion, a review should give a solid idea of what the book is about, what themes are present and the basic plot. It should cover nuts and bolts issues of craft and convey the reviewer’s opinion of the story and how it holds together.
Spoilers are called spoilers for a reason; such reveals spoil the story for others.
If I know I’m going to read a book, I don’t read reviews. I use reviews to find out more about a plot line and the characters, how they interact and so on, when I’m not sure about a book.
From my experience, the blurb on the back of the book is written to entice the reader and at least half the time they are so off the mark to what’s really going on in the book.
In that case, I’m really pissed off as a reader when what’s been suggested is far from the truth, and I’ll set it straight in my reviews. And if that gives away certain plot points or character traits, well then it’s better than some other reader feeling duped.
I have particular likes and dislikes and I like to read about the characteristics and relationship dynamics of between the characters. I want to know if a plot is too ridiculous to believe. I want to know if the hero is an asshat, which I hate. I want to know if the heroine is TSTL, which I also hate. And I want to know about any weird sexual scenarios, violence, non HEAs, etc., before I buy a book.
What I don’t want in a spoiler is like who the killer is, or some twist to the end. I think most reviewers can point out interesting aspects about a plot and character traits without giving away a whole plot.
If I know I’m going to read a book, I’d try to avoid knowing anything about it beforehand: wouldn’t read excerpts, reviews or blurb – spoilers really do spoil a book for me. I abandoned Chesil Beach half-read when I was spoiled for it, and it’ll have to stay half-read until I forget the spoiler in question.
Even non-spoilers can spoil a book – if the reviewer states a really strong opinion about the book it can colour the way I read it – I’d much rather form my own opinion and read the reviews afterwards.
Book discussion, I’d see as a different sort of animal. In the UK they’ve a book programme on the radio where three people nominate a favourite book, then they all read each book and discuss their reading experiences. I wouldn’t expect them to avoid spoilers, and would reasonably often buy a book that sounded interesting – so, broadly speaking, I’m okay with spoilers during a discussion, but not in reviews.
Thinking about it, perhaps it’s because I read for narrative. Truthfully, I don’t much care much about the writing as long as it’s reasonably competent, and I probably wouldn’t notice a theme or a subtext unless a kind passerby pointed them out.
Perhaps if you read only, or mainly, for story spoilers matter more.
I love spoilers! I have actually read books / gone to see movies after being completely spoiled. I think the delivery of the plot is just as important as the plot itself so if you tell me what’s going to happen I still can enjoy the book / movie.
On the other hand I tend not to spoil w/o warning on my reviews since there are people out there that just don’t appreciate a good spoiler as I do.
I don’t like spoilers for books or movies but I dont’ mind them for my favorite TV shows. As an author, I wouldn’t like to have my book spoiled but there is that fine line between generating interest and giving away a major plot point. I’ve read blurbs on the back of books that I thought gave too much away. Or I’ve picked up the second book in a series and its blurb gave away the ending to the first so I don’t bother with the entire series.
As a reader/viewer, the story’s premise is all I need to know whether or not the subject matter interests me (i.e. warm-hearted family saga = yes; serial killer thriller = no). I don’t want details that would dilute the adventure of discovery as I read/watch.
As an author, I cringe when a reviewer basically summarizes the entire plot, book report fashion (whether it’s my book or not!). One reason readers keep turning the pages is to find out the answers to whatever questions the author’s set up — if the answers have already been publicly revealed, what’s the point?
(Which is not to say that I have issues with message boards, etc., where spoilers are being openly discussed, since I know there are readers who do want details beforehand — as long as the subject heading clearly states “here be spoilers”!)
IMO, a review isn’t the same as a critical analysis. The former is to give someone an idea of whether or not the book or film will appeal to them; the latter is for folks who’ve already read or seen the piece and are interested in an in-depth discussion. I see no reason why reviewer can’t mention what works (or doesn’t) for him/her without getting into spoiler territory — for instance, that a decision a character makes didn’t feel logical or in character, or that the ending felt ambiguous, or that what starts out as a lighthearted read turns grisly halfway through.
However, I would never take a reviewer to task for a spoiler-ish review…although I reserve the right to calmly and rationally address obvious errors if I feel those errors seriously misrepresent my work.
I do not like to be spoiled, at all, and I try to stay away from reviews for books I know I’ll want to read, but it’s not always possible.
The major problem I have is with books I don’t yet know about, so I read reviews to find out if I may be interested in the book, but once I’m spoiled I’m a lot less likely to want to read the book…
My major frustration right now is that I’d really like to have some conversations going on books, but even in the comments that often doesn’t happen regardless of the spoiler content of the review.
I’m not really sure how to address this issue, but I’m really feeling the lack of not getting to engage with both the text and others’ reaction to it.
I love spoilers. TV spoilers, movie spoilers, book spoilers… I don’t care. I want to know, and I want to know now. It doesn’t suck any enjoyment out of it for me, and moviepooper.com has spared me from many a crappy movie I might have otherwise paid good money to see. Same goes for books that have been “spoiled” by readers on Amazon.
On the flip side, there have also been many a spoilerish review that have turned me onto a book or movie or TV series, because the “twist” was more interesting than the initial pitch.
I don’t mind spoilers generally, although I don’t go so far as to read the end of the book first. The way I see it, there are only so many plots, and generally speaking, I can tell what’s going to happen before I get there anyway.
I’ve wondered before if there’s broadly two types – people who are in it for the destination, the payoff, and people who enjoy the journey. I put myself in the second camp because I re-read a lot, and rewatch movies. My SIL is the other side – as she puts it, ‘I already know what happens, why would I want to read / watch it again?’. I baffle her, and vice versa. *grin*
I have no issue with spoilers in reviews – quite often you really can’t discuss a book properly without getting specific about things that may be spoilers.
However, reviewers should indicate upfront that the review will contain spoilers so that those who don’t wish to be spoiled can avoid reading them. I think that’s reasonable.
I want to be spoiled. I really hate nasty surprises. I read the ends of books, and look for information on movies that I suspect may have unpleasant endings.
But reviews that spoil suck, and are unprofessional. No more info than the publisher/author have released into the wild, is my rule, and I don’t provide summaries – I use what they do. My review is about my assessment and reactions, and it’s not my job to provide a book report. Authors upset about spoiler reviews are entitled to their rage (though Hoffman was just ridiculous and childish.)
If a review absolutely must reveal the ending to make the point, then it *must* obscure that information in such a way that it can be avoided. Anything else is discourteous to authors and readers.
“IMO, a review isn’t the same as a critical analysis. The former is to give someone an idea of whether or not the book or film will appeal to them; the latter is for folks who’ve already read or seen the piece and are interested in an in-depth discussion.”
-Karen Templeton
What she said! I think a review should give an overview of what to expect (especially useful if the cover or blurb are misleading. Oh, right, that never happens.) And the reviewers reaction, as well as some general feelings about things done really well or things done really poorly. Please leave the book to be read by the reader.
That being said, labeled spoilers are cool. I can choose to avoid or indulge as it suits my mood.
Wow, great comments!
I honestly didn’t expect the emergence of two distinct camps here, but it makes sense to me that a) what people read for, and b) how people view reviews would shape their views of spoilers.
I am definitely in the camp of those who read for the writing and the journey, so to speak, and can absolutely be surprised at plot points I actually knew about going in (maybe it’s a sever form of ADD; I don’t know). And while I tend not to re-read entire books, I do re-read book sections, and the re-read can trigger just as strong a reaction the tenth time as the first. This weekend, I was “talking” with Eric Selinger on Twitter about Kinsale’s Seize the Fire, and when I went back to the book to glance at a couple of passages, I was totally sucked in. I cried for the umpteenth time over Olympia’s goodbye letter to Sheridan, even though I practically know it by heart after so many re-reads.
As for whether reviews constitute critical discourse, I’m still on the side of “yes,” even though I understand why some people feel the opposite way. For me, even though I don’t style my own reviews on the NYTBR model, per se, I see my reviewing process as primarily analytical, an intellectual exercise in articulating what did and didn’t work for me in a book on multiple levels (including the emotional).
And I wish sometimes that I was writing more reviews long enough after a book’s publication that it could generate more discussion (I think it’s often in the comments where you see freer spoiler talk). Not that I *can’t* do that; but with my already limited time and the number of books I’m trying to read, it just doesn’t happen as often as I’d like.
Still, though, even though I’m perfectly aware of the fact that reviews can also have a promotional function, I do not see my reviews as promotional tools, but as reflective little essays that readers may use in making their own decision about whether or not to read a book. In other words, I see the reviewing process as having multiple priorities, not all of which are mine.
Ultimately, though, because so many readers don’t want to be spoiled, I don’t see it as a significant sacrifice to do what I can to try not to spoil a book. Of course whether some readers till may feel spoiled is something I probably will never be able to remedy perfectly. I figure those readers just won’t read my reviews, and that’s fine.
As long as there’s a Spoiler Warning (which online reviewers almost always put–don’t know about Sewious Litewawy critics) then I’m OK. There are some spoilers that would so obviously affect enjoyment of the book (like the aforementioned Fight Club), that I would hope reviewers are cautious about those!
I fall into the category that wants to be “spoiled.” As a reader my life is too full to waste time reading something that will make me want to throw the book against the wall, and believe me that has happened.
I read romance because I am assured of the HEA ending and in some circles that in itself would be considered a “spoiler.” For me a really good, well written book can’t be spoiled because I read things more than once, and I will often go back to my favorites again and again.
Sharon
I’m a fan of spoilers. I’m not sure why but a spoiler is more likely to make me pick up a book than not. What irritates me more is reading a book that is completely predictable and doesn’t hold my interest. I’ve invested time and money and I feel like the book didn’t live up to it’s promise.
That being said even though I like spoilers, I can be influenced by reviews. I recently read a lot of critical reviews of a very popular series. I then read the first book much more critically than I might have otherwise. Now I won’t finish the series because i know where it’s going. Which is a shame, because I might have otherwise.
I don’t personally like spoilers. I prefer to be surprised.
Having said that, it’s rare that I’m surprised these days. I’ve been writing for over twenty years, and successfully publishing for ten…there’s not too many plots out there that can catch me by surprise. If I can’t figure out whodunnit or what comes next before the author tells me, I know I’ve got a great new author (to me) on my hands, and I usually rush to get their back list and gobble it up.
But I try very hard to keep everyone else on their toes.
What does blow my mind, though, is the number of readers who request of me the last chapter of my books as their sample chapters. I provide a sample chapter upon request to any of my newsletter subscribers, for any of my published books, and it amazes me how many ask for the last chapter. That doesn’t even fall into the category of “spoiler”. It’s a whole different kettle of fish.
Just chiming in one more time to agree with Robin that reviews can create spaces for critical discussion. It’s a bit of a catch 22, I’ve found, in that reviews of new books generate a lot of “hits” and interest, but not as much in the way of discussion (since so few have read them and don’t want to be spoiled) while reviews of older books, which could more fairly be discussed without concern about spoilers, get less.
I agree with those who do not want to be spoiled. Romance should contain mystery and surprise – both in literature and life. I do not want to know what will occur, I want to find out. And, I want the discovery process to be exciting. The journey is always as important as the conclusion. And, there should be several scenic stops along the way.