Tuesday Talks | When are Spoilers not considered Spoilers Anymore?

To find out more about the weekly discussion group that is Tuesday Talks visit the goodreads group. It was created by Janie and Janelle and we discuss bookish topics every Tuesday.

Statute of Limitations on Books: When do Spoilers Become Obsolete?

This topic seems more geared toward either classic novels that have been around so long and are constantly being discussed or those really popular books that everyone reads and starts discussing. So let's discuss some of these things.

I think it's safe to say that there is always going to be someone who hasn't read the widely read books. Personally I've read a lot of English classic novels, but very few American classics. Some people are the other way around. Others may have read more novels from other countries and continents entirely (in a variety of languages). Most people I've talked with don't tend to mind spoilers where classics are concerned though. I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that they are so widely discussed and there are so many theories surrounding theme, style, and just overall meaning that people don't mind hearing one interpretation since they can ask someone else and hear something completely different. Or read it and get something completely different. 

Even with newer works that are extremely popular there are going to be many people who haven't read them. Harry Potter is a good example. Through my booktube channel, blogging, and goodreads groups I've met many people who haven't read this series. Surprisingly, it seems that most of them haven't been spoiled for them yet. 

As far as spoilers go, I think that it's important not to just discuss key events in novels with large groups of people (whether that be through goodreads, blogging, booktube, or just with friends) unless you know that everyone has read the novel. Small things don't really matter, but I try to avoid any key events or character introductions and things that might completely change how someone would read the story through for a first time. 

Personally I don't mind being spoiled for books. I've gone into many books already knowing what's going to happen, how it's going to happen, the key events that lead to that conclusion, and many other details. To me it's more about if I enjoy the writing and the story. If I do then I won't mind that someone has spoiled some of it for me. 

So my overall thoughts are that you should avoid discussing or sharing any overly specific information regarding books that you've read. There really isn't a reason to go spouting such things anyway, so just avoid it. 

What do you think? Is there a certain point that it's ok to discuss the details of a novel without concern for spoiling others?