Back page readers?

dr gonzo

A friend of mine was telling me his girlfriend habitually reads the back page of a book before starting it to see if she likes the tone of it, and this isnt just browsing in bookshops, this is books shes been dying to read. This of course struck me as both incredible strange and a waste of a book but maybe this is less rare then I think.

Does anybody do this or know someone who does it? What do you think of it? Am I right in thinking the book is ruined by knowing how it ends?

Six of One

I don't even read the back cover! I find it gives away at least the first third of a book, so if something's been recommended to me, I like the author, it's been shortlisted for a booker or some other award, it's a classic or I just like the look of the cover then I'll read it without knowing what the plot is. I have been confused by a book of short stories once or twice but otherwise I much prefer this way! If I'm not sure I might read the first page to see if I like t he sound of it.. doesn't that make a lot more sense than reading the last page?

E.T.

Can't understand it at all! Finishing a good book is bittersweet, I love the unfolding of the story, but hate getting to the last page because it means the story's over (unless it's part of a series!). Looking at the very last page of most books wouldn't really give much away though would it? The story is usually wrapped up in the last chapter, but not usually the very last page.

Denerick

E.T. wrote: »

Can't understand it at all! Finishing a good book is bittersweet, I love the unfolding of the story, but hate getting to the last page because it means the story's over (unless it's part of a series!). Looking at the very last page of most books wouldn't really give much away though would it? The story is usually wrapped up in the last chapter, but not usually the very last page.

I don't know. Often I'm quite relieved to get to the end of a book. Not because I'm not enjoying it (Usually) but because I'm impatient. I want to know how it ends and how that ending characterises and/or resolves/changes the themes and morals in the story.

sceptre

I sometimes do that. If I die while reading the book, at least I knew how it ends. You might have been expecting a slightly more rational reason. But no.

MagicMarker

I'd never do it, and don't really understand why someone would for the reason the OP mentions. When I'm deciding if I'll read a book I'll go on a general synopsis plus looking at some reviews, or ratings to be more precise.

However, if I did read the last page first, well I'd probably forget it all by the time I get to it the second time.

meganj

I can understand reading the very last page, often the climax occurs in the final chapter not the last page so I can kind of understand it.

My Mother reads the first page, the middle page and the last page of every book before she reads it.

I always try to never read the last page in case information could be inadvertently gleaned from the final page.

coffee_cake

I pick a random page or two early in the book/toward the middle to see if I like the writing style
but the end? certainly not

dr gonzo

I'd be the same as MagicMarker, I often read reviews to help me decide but yeh... Its quite weird. As for the whole last page not giving anything away, my understanding is that she will read as much of the last couple of pages as is necessary to understand the ending.

Slightly off topic but similarly I know a person who cant watch a film without having read the plot summary on wikipedia first. He seems to enjoy the the buildup to an event he already knows more then the surprise of it. It might be something similar in the case of those of us who read a book's ending first.

eskimocat

I only ever read the last page of a book once, and it was after a conversation a bit like this one. To my absolute horror, I discovered the 'hero' of the book dies on the last page and it ruined the whole book. I couldn't help thinking through each chapter "You are going to die..." Never again.

guernica

I do it sometimes - if I get too anxious about what's going to happen in a book (when I'm in the middle of reading it) I will have a skim of the last chapter to see how it turns out. Then I can get on with enjoying the book in peace without worrying about what's going to happen at the end.

Most people don't understand why I would do this though.

david_dsouza

meganj wrote: »

I can understand reading the very last page, often the climax occurs in the final chapter not the last page so I can kind of understand it.

My Mother reads the first page, the middle page and the last page of every book before she reads it.

I always try to never read the last page in case information could be inadvertently gleaned from the final page.

Well may be this step will helps you.

NiallFH

dr gonzo wrote: »

Slightly off topic but similarly I know a person who cant watch a film without having read the plot summary on wikipedia first. He seems to enjoy the the buildup to an event he already knows more then the surprise of it. It might be something similar in the case of those of us who read a book's ending first.

I do that, I must have a brief summary of what happens, I wouldnt go to the extent of getting the full story, but on websites like tv links eu they give a brief 2 or 3 lines detailing an episode and I have to read that first.

Saying that I would never ever read the last page of a book first. An old girlfriend did it first, It never made sense to me, she said she couldnt enjoy it unless she knew what was going to happen.

Mars Bar

I thought you meant the back page as in the cover.

But you mean the final few pages of the story?! That's just bananas!

OakeyDokey

I got into a bad habit of reading the last sentence of the book when I was in seconary school but thankfully grew out of it. Sometimes if a book is boring me I'll take a sneaky look in the middle of the book but never the end.

Lorrs33

guernica wrote: »

I do it sometimes - if I get too anxious about what's going to happen in a book (when I'm in the middle of reading it) I will have a skim of the last chapter to see how it turns out. Then I can get on with enjoying the book in peace without worrying about what's going to happen at the end.

Most people don't understand why I would do this though.

I'm the exact same. I always want the books to turn out the way I hope they will so I want to make sure it does. I guess it's a bit silly because I'll read it till the end anyway, hate leaving a book unfinished!

dr gonzo

Lorrs33 wrote: »

I'm the exact same. I always want the books to turn out the way I hope they will so I want to make sure it does. I guess it's a bit silly because I'll read it till the end anyway, hate leaving a book unfinished!

So in a hypothetical where you have checked the last few pages out of tension and it doesnt turn out how you like, does that mean youre miserable reading the rest of the book?

BIG BAD JOHN

If I think I might like a book (author, subject matter etc) I read page 57 and if I like that, then I'll buy it.
That's not an immutable rule. Yesterday I was at a Garden Fete for charity and they were selling 5 books for €3. I picked up a biography of Jack Lynch, a 4 novel Daphne de Maurier compendium and three thrillers (one published in paperback this year) by Elizabeth George, Harlan Coben and Ruth Rendell and didn't bother doing more than paying the man.

Hoofball

I usually read the back cover and also the first few paragraphs of a new author but that's it. I'd never read the last page of the actual book - to me that defeats the purpose of enjoying my reading of the progression of the story.

I've a list of authors as long as my arm that I read anyway so I always have plenty to buy but do occasionally pick up new authors if the book catches my eye.

Lorrs33

dr gonzo wrote: »

So in a hypothetical where you have checked the last few pages out of tension and it doesnt turn out how you like, does that mean youre miserable reading the rest of the book?

Not really, as I read it the ending starts to make sense

shahalam

From my point of view, I read the summary page at first which gives me an idea about the book, If summary page is not found then I look first few pages and also last page, after that I try to make an idea upon the book was written, If the book is able to grow interest inside me, then I'll read the entire book from first to last page.

Any key?

Last page first is sacreligious.

guernica

Looks like it's just you and me Lorrs33. Maybe we should start a support group for people who can't just wait until the end of the book to find out what happens

For me reading a book is not just about finding out what happens at the end - that's often (not always) the least interesting part.

Manach

sceptre wrote: »

I sometimes do that. If I die while reading the book, at least I knew how it ends. You might have been expecting a slightly more rational reason. But no.

Glad I'm not the only one with this morbid habit

Jimmy Iovine

My granny used to do that the whole time. She read the last page and if she didn't like how the story was going to finish then she wouldn't bother to read the book.

coll123

I used to do this until one day I read the last page of a new book and it completely freaked me out. The last line was so strange and intriguing that I spent my whole time reading the book wondering how the last line would fit in to the story. Have lent the book to many people since and warned everyone NOT to read last page. At least I've know kicked the habit

Giselle

If I'm struggling to get through a book I often read the last few pages. That way if the ending is intriguing it'll motivate me to keep going, but if the ending is a disappointment I won't waste any more valuable time with a book I'm not really enjoying.

Most of the time I don't though, as I'm generally good at picking out books I'll enjoy.

cuilteanna

I would usually read the last pages of a book first unless it's something like a biography or other genre with no particular element of suspense. (I also read episode synopses for some television shows before watching them - that way I know which bits I can fast-forward through). There's enough tension and uncertainty causing stress in my everyday life and it's not something I'm looking for in my entertainment!

Queen-Mise

oh I do this :eek::eek::eek: Particularly if they are books that I am very iffy about. The last time I did this was with the Girl in the Dragon Tattoo books, my husband was reading them & I wasn't sure I would enjoy them. So I would pick up the book and randomly start reading parts. Eventually I read the last fifty pages in the second book, got hooked and started reading the books from the beginning.

Have a book of quotes upstairs and I am going to badly paraphrase one of the quotes (no idea who said it) - 'I also start in the middle of the book, if I enjoy it, then I still have more to read'. Genius idea.

Grievous

OakeyDokey wrote: »

I got into a bad habit of reading the last sentence of the book when I was in seconary school/QUOTE]



They call that shooting yourself in the foot.