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Overheard a guy at the diner say he only reads books backwards
I was getting breakfast last Saturday and this older dude told his friend he reads every book from the last chapter first so he knows what to look for. I tried it with a mystery novel and it actually made me notice clues I would have skipped. Has anyone else tried reading a book out of order on purpose?
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jamiew5311d ago
Wait, so you actually tried it? That's wild. I did something similar with a thriller where the killer is obvious from the start, but reading the end first let me spot all the red herrings the author was throwing in. It felt kind of like cheating but also like I was in on the joke. I still do it with big dense non-fiction books sometimes to get the main point before wading through all the details. Makes the whole thing less of a slog honestly.
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umar5911d agoMost Upvoted
Being in on the joke" is exactly how I'd describe it too lol. I used to be all about the mystery and surprise, thought peeking ahead was like cheating at solitaire or something. But after trying it with a couple of books I was struggling to get through, I totally get the appeal now. It's like you're not along for the ride, you're the one driving and pointing out all the hidden stuff you'd normally miss.
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Maybe it's just me but I feel like that kinda ruins the whole point of reading. You're supposed to be along for the ride, not peeking at the destination. Idk, half the fun is getting surprised and figuring stuff out as you go.
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