You’ve probably heard people say it: “Don’t tell me what happens—I don’t want any spoilers!”
However, I’m here to tell you that if a book or movie is good enough, there is no such thing as a spoiler. And I’ve got research to back me up.
It turns out that when people know the ending of a book or movie, they don’t enjoy it less—they may even enjoy it more. It’s the same reason why people read the same book or watch the same movie over and over again: the ending isn’t why we enjoy a story.
When it comes to books, a great story is a world unto itself. You get lost in the voice, the images, the feelings. You get to know characters and feel what they are feeling. You start to feel like you are in their world, seeing and hearing what they do.
Sure, the plot—what happens in a story—is important. But without all the other stuff, the plot isn’t really very interesting. If you boil any story down to “what happens,” it sounds pretty dull.
So next time you are worried about spoilers, remember it’s no big deal. Even if you know the wizard wins in the end, you will still get to experience the exhilaration and anticipation that the rest of the story brings to the experience.