# What NOT to say to a person reading a book **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 25, 2006, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-not-to-say-to-a-person-reading-a-book/346025 "2006-02-25T03:12:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mayo\_Speaks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mayo\_Speaks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mayo_Speaks)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-not-to-say-to-a-person-reading-a-book/346025/21 "2006-02-25T06:10:44Z")
This applies to movies, too. When they re-released Star Wars in theaters, I hadn’t seen them, and I didn’t know the story (I was just a little boy!). So my Dad took me to see them. And on the way to see **Empire** , he said to me:You’re going to love the part where you find out Vader is Luke’s father.Pretty much made that movie pointless, huh? I doubt this is a spoiler for anyone here, but why risk it? ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-not-to-say-to-a-person-reading-a-book/346025/22 "2006-02-25T06:16:56Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Even so, finding out that Olympia Dukakis’s character was a child murdering she-demon was a twist I would have liked to have found out for myself the first time I saw the movie. Oh please, when _doesn’t_ Olympia Dukakis play a child-murdering she-demon? OK, she played the HR lady in _Working Girl_, but besides that I mean. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-not-to-say-to-a-person-reading-a-book/346025/23 "2006-02-25T06:40:57Z")
Slight nitpick (this place really is Nitpick Central, you know. You might as well change the slogan to “Picking Nits Since 1970. We’ll Take As Long As We Have To.” Anyway.) : if people reveal a spoiler to you, I believe you were spoiled, not spoilered. My reading peeve is reading emails or surfing, and having someone hovering over my shoulder. Just go away. Don’t ask me what I’m doing, don’t read my emails, don’t stand there and breathe on me. Just go. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-not-to-say-to-a-person-reading-a-book/346025/24 "2006-02-25T06:42:53Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#): > > Empire Falls, actually. I’m reading that right now, too! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-not-to-say-to-a-person-reading-a-book/346025/25 "2006-02-25T06:46:20Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > I’m reading that right now, too! 🙂 Did you get to the _ **BIG MASSIVE FUCKING SPOILER** _ yet? ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-not-to-say-to-a-person-reading-a-book/346025/26 "2006-02-25T06:55:12Z")
Dammit, **Otto**! :mad: 😉 P.S. I think Olivia Dukakis’s _Working Girl_ character _was_ a child-murdering she-demon, just off-camera. ---
**Author:** ![Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/779978/32.png) [@Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazon_Floozy_Goddess)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-not-to-say-to-a-person-reading-a-book/346025/27 "2006-02-25T06:57:03Z")
> [@SavageNarce](#): > > No problem - the last 10 pages of any Harlequin Romance are pretty predictable anyhow. 😃 Buttsecks? ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-not-to-say-to-a-person-reading-a-book/346025/28 "2006-02-25T07:09:46Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > P.S. I think Olivia Dukakis’s _Working Girl_ character _was_ a child-murdering she-demon, just off-camera. Well, she did work in HR, so it’s logical that the child murder and she-demonness may be assumed. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-not-to-say-to-a-person-reading-a-book/346025/29 "2006-02-25T09:24:42Z")
> [@SavageNarce](#): > > If you like that, you should catch his Inquest! I can _not_ keep those two separate. ---
**Author:** ![rhettbutler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@rhettbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhettbutler)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-not-to-say-to-a-person-reading-a-book/346025/30 "2006-02-25T09:32:29Z")
Ooh, _Empire Falls_! Did you get the part where Sully’s son comes back and slams the screen door and kills the dog that belonged to the nun whose mother was a whore? I loved that part! ---
**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-not-to-say-to-a-person-reading-a-book/346025/31 "2006-02-25T09:48:51Z")
> [@This space intentionally blank](#): > > This applies to movies, too. When they re-released Star Wars in theaters, I hadn’t seen them, and I didn’t know the story (I was just a little boy!). So my Dad took me to see them. And on the way to see **Empire** , he said to me:You’re going to love the part where you find out Vader is Luke’s father.Pretty much made that movie pointless, huh? > > I doubt this is a spoiler for anyone here, but why risk it? Hah! Exactly the same thing happened to me. I still grumble about it. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-not-to-say-to-a-person-reading-a-book/346025/32 "2006-02-25T13:50:31Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > Well hell, it’s not like anyone watches Steel Magnolias for the _plot_. Why would anybody _want_ to watch Steel Magnolias at all? ---
**Author:** ![buttonjockey308](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@buttonjockey308](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buttonjockey308)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-not-to-say-to-a-person-reading-a-book/346025/33 "2006-02-25T14:13:38Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > HARRY POTTER & THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE was [spoiled for me](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=326105&page=1&pp=50) as were the films _Million Dollar Baby_ and _Fight Club_ (way back when) by well meaning co-workers who for some reason thought I’d seen them. Such a pity that life doesn’t come with an UNDO option under the EDIT bar of our existence. As much as I’m irked by people who do this I’m irked probably more by people who say “Well big deal… it’s still just as good a book even if you do know that Lady Cuthbert is really Lord Obernitz’s long lost father”. [This](http://www.tshirthell.com/store/product.php?productid=510) T-Shirt tempted me during the height of the craze, but knowing what a fanatic Mrs Jockey is about the Potter books, I thought it safer to not. ---
**Author:** ![Walter\_Windchill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Walter\_Windchill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walter_Windchill)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-not-to-say-to-a-person-reading-a-book/346025/34 "2006-02-25T14:39:39Z")
I know what you mean. I was once on my way out to the symphony, when I ran into a friend. I told him I was on my way to see Beethoven’s Ninth. He said, Freude, schöner Götterfunken! Thanks a lot. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-not-to-say-to-a-person-reading-a-book/346025/35 "2006-02-25T15:59:41Z")
> [@buttonjockey308](#): > > [This](http://www.tshirthell.com/store/product.php?productid=510) T-Shirt tempted me during the height of the craze, but knowing what a fanatic Mrs Jockey is about the Potter books, I thought it safer to not. That doesn’t really spoil the whole book. I heard that too, but I didn’t know who killed him. I also didn’t know that Harry makes significant progress in tracking down and killing Voldemort, that he hooks up with Ginny, that he decides not to go back to school, that Snape finally gets The Job, and probably a zillion other things that I can’t even remember right now. Plus, I mean, he’ll probably go into the office and talk to Albus’ portrait all the time anyway, so it’s not THAT big a deal. Anyway. All I’m saying is, it doesn’t render the book entirely useless. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-not-to-say-to-a-person-reading-a-book/346025/36 "2006-02-25T16:05:49Z")
> [@Walter Windchill](#): > > I know what you mean. I was once on my way out to the symphony, when I ran into a friend. I told him I was on my way to see Beethoven’s Ninth. He said, > > Freude, schöner Götterfunken! > > Thanks a lot. :smack: :eek: I hope he didn’t tell you the next line too! Doctor of the Asylum :eek: ---
**Author:** ![MsMitey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@MsMitey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsMitey)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-not-to-say-to-a-person-reading-a-book/346025/37 "2006-02-25T16:22:08Z")
Can we include, here, people who seem to think that they need to strike up a conversation with you _because_ you’re reading? You’re sitting by yourself, reading a boring ol’ book, obviously you’re lonely and require cheering up, right? No, you illiterate bumblefuck, I just want to read my book in peace! Oh, and don’t tell me my book is thicker than all the books you ever read combined. Not everybody finds anti-intellectualism attractive. Trying to hit on me by telling me you don’t like to read maybe isn’t the best plan of attack! ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-not-to-say-to-a-person-reading-a-book/346025/38 "2006-02-25T16:39:01Z")
> [@MsMitey](#): > > Can we include, here, people who seem to think that they need to strike up a conversation with you _because_ you’re reading? You’re sitting by yourself, reading a boring ol’ book, obviously you’re lonely and require cheering up, right? No, you illiterate bumblefuck, I just want to read my book in peace! They get this idea from Hollywood, I believe. Think about it-- the only time you ever see a character in TV or movies reading a book (other than a quick flip-though for reference) is if their character is a shy, socially inept nerd who needs a wise-cracking friend who knows what’s “really important” to pull their noses out of the book and show them that there’s “more to life”. Hubby’s co-workers believe this-- they constantly try to “rescue” Hubby and I from our quiet existance and drag us out to bars. > [@](#): > > Oh, and don’t tell me my book is thicker than all the books you ever read combined. Not everybody finds anti-intellectualism attractive. Trying to hit on me by telling me you don’t like to read maybe isn’t the best plan of attack! A-fuckin’-men. I’ve always puzzled over that remark when I’ve heard it. Am I supposed to be somehow impressed? ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-not-to-say-to-a-person-reading-a-book/346025/39 "2006-02-25T17:28:53Z")
> [@Lissa](#): > > I’m one of them. Yes, I’m a bitch when it comes to reading. I don’t want to have to drag myself out of the story to have a conversation with someone-- if I wanted that, I wouldn’t be reading in the first place. > > Worst are the ones who won’t get the hint. > > “Whatcha reading?” > \* > Lissa recites title, then looks back down at book,\* > > “Oh . . . I haven’t read that. What’s it about?” > \* > Lissa drags eyes from page and gives a terse, one sentence synopsis. Looks back down at book.\* > > “Sounds interesting. Have you read [insert title here]?” > > “No, I havent,” Lissa says, even if she has, and looks back down at book. > > “Oh, it’s really good. My favorite book was [blah, blah, blah] I don’t usually read [genre] but my daughter, who loves in Sacramento, suggested it. She’s in a book club, and they’ve just finished it.” > > “Uh huh.” _Lissa pointedly resumes reading._ > > “Do you read a lot of books?” > > _Lissa thinks, “Well, I fucking TRY!” Nods, smiles politely, looks back at book._ > > “What kind do you usually read?” > > “Oh, everything.”\* Lissa doesn’t even look up this time.\* > > “Me, I usually read [genre] but my friend Susan suggested I start reading—” > > Look, I love to talk about books, too, but not when someone’s trying to read one. I swear, next time I’m going to say, “No parlez Ingles.” Thank you, thank you. People seem to think that I’m reading just to kill time until something better comes along. I don’t want to discuss the book I’m reading with you - I want to read it! ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-not-to-say-to-a-person-reading-a-book/346025/40 "2006-02-25T17:41:26Z")
> [@Lissa](#): > > I’m one of them. Yes, I’m a bitch when it comes to reading. I don’t want to have to drag myself out of the story to have a conversation with someone-- if I wanted that, I wouldn’t be reading in the first place. > > Worst are the ones who won’t get the hint. > > “Whatcha reading?” > \* > Lissa recites title, then looks back down at book,\* That’s your mistake, right there. You **stopped** reading to answer. Keep reading, never let your eyes leave the page. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-not-to-say-to-a-person-reading-a-book/346025.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-not-to-say-to-a-person-reading-a-book/346025.md?page=3)