Instead of wishing I didn’t know how it was going to end, I spent a lot of time paying attention to how knowing the ending impacted my experience of the story.
It’s famous in my marriage that I spoiled Anna Karenina for my husband by mentioning the ending. I thought “everyone” knew! Oh well.
I appreciate this thoughtful take on how that affects our reading though. I remember thinking about this problem when watching Philippe Petit in Man on Wire— we know he made it! There he is on screen, being interviewed about it, but *still* there’s so much suspense and drama in the how. That’s masterful story telling— when you can make people care anyway, as you say here.
It’s famous in my marriage that I spoiled Anna Karenina for my husband by mentioning the ending. I thought “everyone” knew! Oh well.
I appreciate this thoughtful take on how that affects our reading though. I remember thinking about this problem when watching Philippe Petit in Man on Wire— we know he made it! There he is on screen, being interviewed about it, but *still* there’s so much suspense and drama in the how. That’s masterful story telling— when you can make people care anyway, as you say here.
Yes! Good point, it's very much a factor in true stories. I think about it sometimes with memoir—you know the person survived to tell the story!
I just pre-ordered First Love. Looking forward to it!
thank you!!