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I was reading an article today (sorry I don't know the details) about a head teacher who read the last page of the new Harry Potter at the last assembly before the summer holidays - she said that it was something to do with 'goodbyes'. What galled me was there was all these kids and parents saying because they know the ending it isn't worth reading.
I can't believe that. Is there really people who wouldn't read a book because they knew how it ends?. When I was reading Eragon the ending was fantastic, but the rest of the book made it even better. And I confess, I have still 100 pages of Eldest left to read and I sneaked a peek at the ending.
Actually, when my sister choses a novel, she will read the ending before deciding whether she will read the whole book or not.
I think knowing the ending can heighten the anticipation. It's the journey, not getting there, but how you get there that matters. I've enjoyed the two books so much I'm dreading reaching the final word, knowing I have to wait until next summer for the next book. Because I know what will happen, it means I've been able to draw out and savour the story, instead of bombing through it.
Heard that on the news this morning as I was having an extra 10 mins in bed. Aparently it was the headteacher and trying to convey to her pupils goodbye as they broke for their summer hols.
Pathetic
She should have asked the children whether they wanted to hear the ending or not. Any of them who were still reading the book probably wanted to find out what happened for themselves AFTER they'd read the rest.
What a miserable old spoilsport.
Wasn't there a story a while ago about a primary school teacher who told the children there wasn't a Santa Claus? (Of course, that was a lie!)
Personally I couldn't read the last page/chapter of a book I wanted to read... I don't know maybe it's the mystery of it all - It's like if I was told I was going to have a surprise birthday party, it would ruin the surprise. Although I know many people who would rather read the last chapter rather than the whole book... Although... I don't have much contact with people who do read so maybe that's it. I guess it comes down to personal preferance.
My kids finished school the day before the book came out, so it was something to look forward to rather than thinking about all the changes coming about with leaving the school.
Personally I can't see what the headteacher meant- the last page is about the future not really a goodbye at all.
Kateyanne, a lot of schools don't have 'religious' assemblies anymore because many schools are no longer predominently Christian, they've become an issue- not everywhere, but certainly I've heard of some.
A school headmistress has upset her pupils and angered parents by reading out the last page of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" to all her pupils on the last day of the school term.
Carolyn Banfield, head of St. John's Primary CoE School in Midsomer Norton, Somerset, read the extract to over 400 children. According to nine-year-old Louie Swift, "I don't know why she read it. She's not usually a spoilsport. She didn't even mention she had the book. She just picked it up and started reading it to us."
Mrs Banfield was not available for comment, but a spokesman for the school said, "The school was saying goodbye to the children and staff who were leaving. A very small passage was carefully chosen to reflect the theme of saying goodbye. The school felt this reading would not spoil the children's enjoyment of the book."
However, several people have attacked Mrs Banfield. Margaret Morrissey, a spokeswoman for the National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations said, "It was totally unforgivable. It's one of the cruellest things she could have done, even if she didn't mean it. This act will probably stop all those children reading the book."
One parent, Maria Rogers, mother of eight-year-old Travis, said, "He's read the last three books, but there's no point reading this one now."
Something else which many readers can't resist taking a peek at is the ending of a twist ended story. It's worthwhile, when writing one, to 'bury' the actual twist a sentence or two before the very last one. Even more effective of course is the double or even treble twist.
i hate the idea of reading the ending before the rest of the book. that's why it's called an ending, because it goes at the end!!
reading the end (and judging the book based on that) is like listening to the last sentence of an hour-long converstion between two people you've never met, and deciding you hate them both.
i queued up for my copy of harry potter, and read it as fast as physically possible, simply because i knew some people would ruin it for me (remember the sixth sense? a week after it came out, i told a uni friend i was going to see it that night. "ooh!" she said, "the end is great! did you know that bruce willis is really a ghost?" my jaw dropped in disgust and horror, as she had destroyed the best twist of any film ever made. i never forgave her for that. my boyfriend was obviously impressed by the film, and i was so jealous of that. he didn't have anyone spoil the moment for him.)
before i pre-ordered my copy with wh smiths (and subsequently paying £6 more per copy than the asda), i debated whether just to go to the asda for it. i didn't know whether they were having the midnight opening, and i imagined going into the shop on saturday morning, picking up my copy, and some devious little green-shirted no-mark at the till would cackle and say "did you know that such and such dies? and the end is great! did you know that harry is really a ghost?"
people are nasty, and after waiting 10 years to find out how it would end at hogwarts, i wasn't about to be pipped at the post by someone intent on ruining the day of any unsuspecting HP fan. i enjoyed my deathly hallows in unspoiled, unsullied bliss. and the end was great.
Comments
I can't believe that. Is there really people who wouldn't read a book because they knew how it ends?. When I was reading Eragon the ending was fantastic, but the rest of the book made it even better. And I confess, I have still 100 pages of Eldest left to read and I sneaked a peek at the ending.
Actually, when my sister choses a novel, she will read the ending before deciding whether she will read the whole book or not.
What does everyone else think?.
Pathetic
What a miserable old spoilsport.
Wasn't there a story a while ago about a primary school teacher who told the children there wasn't a Santa Claus? (Of course, that was a lie!)
Personally I can't see what the headteacher meant- the last page is about the future not really a goodbye at all.
A school headmistress has upset her pupils and angered parents by reading out the last page of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" to all her pupils on the last day of the school term.
Carolyn Banfield, head of St. John's Primary CoE School in Midsomer Norton, Somerset, read the extract to over 400 children. According to nine-year-old Louie Swift, "I don't know why she read it. She's not usually a spoilsport. She didn't even mention she had the book. She just picked it up and started reading it to us."
Mrs Banfield was not available for comment, but a spokesman for the school said, "The school was saying goodbye to the children and staff who were leaving. A very small passage was carefully chosen to reflect the theme of saying goodbye. The school felt this reading would not spoil the children's enjoyment of the book."
However, several people have attacked Mrs Banfield. Margaret Morrissey, a spokeswoman for the National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations said, "It was totally unforgivable. It's one of the cruellest things she could have done, even if she didn't mean it. This act will probably stop all those children reading the book."
One parent, Maria Rogers, mother of eight-year-old Travis, said, "He's read the last three books, but there's no point reading this one now."
reading the end (and judging the book based on that) is like listening to the last sentence of an hour-long converstion between two people you've never met, and deciding you hate them both.
i queued up for my copy of harry potter, and read it as fast as physically possible, simply because i knew some people would ruin it for me (remember the sixth sense? a week after it came out, i told a uni friend i was going to see it that night. "ooh!" she said, "the end is great! did you know that bruce willis is really a ghost?" my jaw dropped in disgust and horror, as she had destroyed the best twist of any film ever made. i never forgave her for that. my boyfriend was obviously impressed by the film, and i was so jealous of that. he didn't have anyone spoil the moment for him.)
before i pre-ordered my copy with wh smiths (and subsequently paying £6 more per copy than the asda), i debated whether just to go to the asda for it. i didn't know whether they were having the midnight opening, and i imagined going into the shop on saturday morning, picking up my copy, and some devious little green-shirted no-mark at the till would cackle and say "did you know that such and such dies? and the end is great! did you know that harry is really a ghost?"
people are nasty, and after waiting 10 years to find out how it would end at hogwarts, i wasn't about to be pipped at the post by someone intent on ruining the day of any unsuspecting HP fan. i enjoyed my deathly hallows in unspoiled, unsullied bliss. and the end was great.