Do you prefer to know little about what you are about to read or watch?

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Lord Tyrion

Well-Known Member
Oct 24, 2013
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I'm a little past half way through SK's last book, and I think I've enjoyed the story knowing very little about it before hand. I only heard about the very basic premise having seen the ads on this site and I even avoided reading the jacket cover. Experiencing the shock of each event as they occur has helped me enjoy the story more. Another factor is that I try to figure out where the story is going and trailers and previews can give away too much away.

For movies this is tricky because I think trailers are a part of the experience of movies, but they can often give away too much. The best example was Hurt Locker. I remember hearing Quentin Tarantino say the trailer gave away a critical shot of the movie he wish he had experienced for the first time in the theater. (The scene is at 2:12).

What does the SK community think?
 

Lily Sawyer

B-ReadAndWed
Jun 27, 2009
6,625
15,016
South Carolina
I try to pay as little attention as I can to either book blurbs or reviews. If I want to read the book, I'll read it, no matter what the critics say. I also don't crawl into threads here about SK books I haven't read, because even when critical passages are behind spoilers, I can usually get the gist of what the book's about - and I don't want to know beyond setting and situation.
 

blunthead

Well-Known Member
Aug 2, 2006
80,755
195,461
Atlanta GA
I work at avoiding movie and book spoilers of any kind. That's why I rarely look into any thread here which is about a book I've yet to read. I have been in the habit of reading book flaps (what are they called?) because I feel I can trust those not to tell me anything I'd rather find out on my own. I feel the same way as Lord Tyrion about movie trailers, and that sometimes they can give away too damn much.
 
M

mjs9153

Guest
Like stated above,I read as little as possible about a new book coming out to avoid spoiling it..find reading a book before seeing the movie usually spoils it,one exception was the lord of the rings trilogy..thought that was very well done,while the hobbit,not so much,at least so far..
 

blunthead

Well-Known Member
Aug 2, 2006
80,755
195,461
Atlanta GA
Like stated above,I read as little as possible about a new book coming out to avoid spoiling it..find reading a book before seeing the movie usually spoils it...
This speaks to another idea: which media does a person prefer to receive their stories from? Movies, TV, books, radio, recitations, plays, operas. The question becomes problematic for the individual who likes to read the kinds of stories movie makers tend to use but who likes movies most. How to avoid such reading?
 

Lina

Committed member
Jun 24, 2009
3,356
6,024
Russia
I don't like spoilers, either. If I'm going to read a book, I evade reading any comments about it. Yes, I read the jacket cover and I watch trailers and read some general information about the plot, but I don't read any opinions of people who have already read it, as I should have my own opinion after I read the book and it should not be influenced by others. And to evade spoilers, of course.

With movies it's a bit different for me, sometimes I even ask my friends to give me a spoiler, as only this way I can get really interested in the movie and watch it. But with movies I am looking forward to, of course I don't want to know things before I see them by myself.
 

The Nameless

M-O-O-N - That spells Nameless
Jul 10, 2011
2,080
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The Darkside of the Moon (England really)
With books, I like to know the basic synopsis but it should be no more than 2 or 3 sentances. No details, an example would be like this:
11/22/63 - StephenKing.com - 11/22/63 - The synopsis on the SK.com library page.

I think the following would have been best (and is pretty much all the info I had at the time):
Jake Epping is a thirty-five-year-old high school English teacher in Lisbon Falls, Maine, who makes extra money teaching adults in the GED program.

Jake’s friend Al, who runs the local diner, divulges a secret: his storeroom is a portal to 1958. He enlists Jake on an insane—and insanely possible—mission to try to prevent the Kennedy assassination. So begins Jake’s new life as George Amberson and his new world of Elvis and JFK, of big American cars and sock hops, of a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald and a beautiful high school librarian named Sadie Dunhill

I would have left out the following:
He receives an essay from one of the students—a gruesome, harrowing first person story about the night 50 years ago when Harry Dunning’s father came home and killed his mother, his sister, and his brother with a hammer. Harry escaped with a smashed leg, as evidenced by his crooked walk.

...Sadie Dunhill, who becomes the love of Jake’s life—a life that transgresses all the normal rules of time

I think the bits in the spoiler tags should be read as you get to them, to have maximum impact and suspense.

As far as movies go, they need to give away a bit more plot, especially these days, because they have to showcase special effects to leave people in awe, give away a funny gag to show people (or make them believe) this is the standard of the comedy throughout the film etc. I don't really watch films but when I do, I prefer to know a little bit about it, more than I would when reading a book, but still don't want to know major plot arcs.
 

Lord Tyrion

Well-Known Member
Oct 24, 2013
1,582
6,257
With movies it's a bit different for me, sometimes I even ask my friends to give me a spoiler, as only this way I can get really interested in the movie and watch it. But with movies I am looking forward to, of course I don't want to know things before I see them by myself.

With films, I'll check out the rating on rottentomatoes.com. If the score is really low, I'll avoid it.
 

Lord Tyrion

Well-Known Member
Oct 24, 2013
1,582
6,257
With books, I like to know the basic synopsis but it should be no more than 2 or 3 sentances. No details, an example would be like this:
11/22/63 - StephenKing.com - 11/22/63 - The synopsis on the SK.com library page.

I think the following would have been best (and is pretty much all the info I had at the time):


I would have left out the following:
He receives an essay from one of the students—a gruesome, harrowing first person story about the night 50 years ago when Harry Dunning’s father came home and killed his mother, his sister, and his brother with a hammer. Harry escaped with a smashed leg, as evidenced by his crooked walk.

...Sadie Dunhill, who becomes the love of Jake’s life—a life that transgresses all the normal rules of time

I think the bits in the spoiler tags should be read as you get to them, to have maximum impact and suspense.

As far as movies go, they need to give away a bit more plot, especially these days, because they have to showcase special effects to leave people in awe, give away a funny gag to show people (or make them believe) this is the standard of the comedy throughout the film etc. I don't really watch films but when I do, I prefer to know a little bit about it, more than I would when reading a book, but still don't want to know major plot arcs.

I completely agree. The part in the spoiler section is too much info to give away. Knowing that stuff is going to happen lessens the experience.

I just read the jacket to Mr. Mercedes. I think the part about
Brady planning to kill thousands of people is a bit too much to tell someone before they read the book. In the first half of the book, it's not clear if he even plans on attempting another plot. When I got to that part in the book when he decides to strike again, it was a surprise. [spoiler/]
 

The Nameless

M-O-O-N - That spells Nameless
Jul 10, 2011
2,080
8,261
42
The Darkside of the Moon (England really)
I completely agree. The part in the spoiler section is too much info to give away. Knowing that stuff is going to happen lessens the experience.

I just read the jacket to Mr. Mercedes. I think the part about
Brady planning to kill thousands of people is a bit too much to tell someone before they read the book. In the first half of the book, it's not clear if he even plans on attempting another plot. When I got to that part in the book when he decides to strike again, it was a surprise. [spoiler/]
I think you are probably right, I haven't read Mr Mercedes yet, but I did read the inside jacket cover so when I get upto that bit it will just be "part of the plot" that I knew about, rather than an "oh crap" moment. On the other hand though, without you pointing that out to me, I probably wouldn't have give it any thought.
 

SutterKane

Well-Known Member
Jun 7, 2014
297
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If it's an artist I'm familiar with then I prefer to go in blind. I've already enjoyed their previous work, so I'm not in a position where I need to be convinced that I should roll the dice on it. David Cronenburg is an example of that as far as films go. I've loved (almost) everything he's made since "Rabid", all the way up through "Eastern Promises", so If he has a new movie out I tend to watch it just on general principle...... Every once in a while I'll get a let down like "Cosmopolis" but the batting average is still good enough to give anything he does a chance.

But, if it's somebody I'm not familiar with, I generally have to be convinced, by either a trailer or a good review. There are so many books released every year that If I hadn't been convinced by positive recommendations and an interesting premise described on the amazon site, I would probably have never given Joe Hil's "Heart Shaped Box" a read. I just wasn't familiar with him and he'd be competing for my attention with authors I'm familiar with who I already have a backlog of material I need to get around to reading.
 

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
87,651
358,754
62
Cambridge, Ohio
...I read the back of a novel or inside the dust jacket-that's all, before I strap on the floaties and go wading onto the word pool...movies?...I think anymore, that most trailers are featuring the best parts of the flick!...so why pony up the big bucks...I'll watch it when it hits PPV on my flat screen, with HOMEMADE freakin' popcorn...
 

do1you9love?

Happy to be here!
Feb 18, 2012
9,284
70,566
Virginia
For books, I like to read it for myself. I don't read reviews or book cover flaps or goodreads reviews until after I am done with the book.

For movies, I try to read the book first if possible. Gives me a better understanding of what they are glossing over in the movie.

One big exception on this rule for me has been the Game of Throne series (yes, Lord Tyrion, I am a big fan of yours!:love:) I started watching the show and waited to start on the books until the end of this season. I am so glad that I did it that way, because for seasons 3 and 4 they pulled the storylines in various orders from book 3. If I had already known some of the things that were going to happen, it would have lessened the shock factor and the enjoyment. I am really enjoying reading the books afterwards and seeing what they changed, getting deeper backstories and reliving the excitement.
 

Kurben

The Fool on the Hill
Apr 12, 2014
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sweden
Depends on the author. If it is someone i know about i just throw myself into it but there is so many books out there. Sometimes you need a little more background info that you can get in for example a rewiev. Before you decide that this book or author is worth your time. When it comes to movies... I'll hardly go there anymore. It is so f...... expensive so i note the movies i want to see and see them later on DVD or some moviechannel.