Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site sdcrdcf.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!whuxlm!harpo!decvax!ittvax!dcdwest!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!barryg From: barryg@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Lee Gold) Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers Subject: Re: Telling the Plot Message-ID: <2095@sdcrdcf.UUCP> Date: Sat, 22-Jun-85 09:48:59 EDT Article-I.D.: sdcrdcf.2095 Posted: Sat Jun 22 09:48:59 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 25-Jun-85 08:12:10 EDT References: <2321@topaz.ARPA> Reply-To: barryg@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Lee Gold) Organization: System Development Corp. R+D, Santa Monica Lines: 23 Summary: I'm contending that a murder mystery spoiled by finding out that the ballerina (or butler) did it is merely a piece of third rate writing. I don't find THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV spoiled because I now know which brother killed Fyodor. I don't even find Sayers' Wimsey books spoiled because I know Whodunnit. A book is as much about those "subtleties" (interplay of characterization, for instance) as about what happens next. I don't find knowing the plot of a book spoils it anymore than knowing its theme or mood. (I just finished an enjoyable evening of rereading O'Henry stories. A "surprise" ending sometimes hits you even harder when you know it's coming.) Incidentally, I have to confess typically skimming the last page of a new book before buying it. (And so do many of my friends.) I started this back in the late 60s, as SF books began imitating New Yorker short stories. I don't like novels that end up along the lines of "He was now Emperor of the Galaxy, but what did it all mean? Hadn't he been happier as a simple zort-herd. Esmerella had thought so, and now she was dead. Phargamerp drank some more rooq and fell asleep." Since publishers aren't willing to flag these books as "Pretentious/Depressing" on the bacover, the only protection seems to be checking them out for myself ahead of time. --Lee Gold