Is a list of Characters a Spoiler?

[ali_kat]

It's a HUGH bug bear of mine

A book that lists the characters at the beginning.

I really, really, REALLY hate this!

IMHO, it's a huge spoiler to have a who is who & personality details are the start of a book.

Is it just me?

[LordGrover]

As in Hugh Jarse?

[AndrewEH1]

I can't remember ever reading a book that does this. Any examples?

[hermitage henry]

AndrewEH1 said:

I can't remember ever reading a book that does this. Any examples?

I can think of some F Forsyth ones that do it but I've never seen it as a spoiler and can't imagine how it could spoil anything.

Maybe if it's a child's book where the characters are secret witches or something? Dunno.

[ali_kat]

Examples

The most recent Jodi Taylor (which is what started this off)

Ken Follett - Fall of Giants

Roderick Alleyn Mysteries by Ngaio Marsh

[AndrewEH1]

I guess it depends on the book really. A glossary type list of characters in a fantasy book with a lot of lore can be helpful, especially when they all have funny names!

[DJRC]

No. Stop being a big tarts blouse

[Morf]

I think a list of characters *could* be a spoiler, but I think it would be a fairly poor author who puts something at the beginning of the book like:

James Fortesque - dies on page 37
The Butler - the person everybody suspects did it
Lady Hamilton - turns out to be the murderer

[sorry, should I spoiler that?]

I can see the point of it in a book that is part of a series. The problem a series author has is that not everybody is OCD enough to insist on reading them in order, and if somebody is dipping into the series for the first time it's a convenient way of giving them some background without the tedious "previously...." sort of introduction.

I have seen it played for laughs, where the descriptions of the characters are extra little "in-jokes" for the people who know the books well.

In the particular case of the Jodi Taylor book we started off discussing, while it didn't annoy me at the time I do feel (looking back at it) that it came very close to including spoilers - certainly some parts of the characters mentioned there are only revealed *during* the book - and so I don't think it was very well done.

Fence? Sitting on? Me? Never!

[ali_kat]

Morf said:

I think a list of characters *could* be a spoiler, but I think it would be a fairly poor author who puts something at the beginning of the book like:

James Fortesque - dies on page 37
The Butler - the person everybody suspects did it
Lady Hamilton - turns out to be the murderer

[sorry, should I spoiler that?]

I don’t think any author would put something like that But introducing a Lord &B Lady of the Manor, and then the local Police from that Village tells you its the Lord or Lady that’s murdered…

Having Harry Fortesque listed as (James’s twin brother) when the 1st paragraph says he died in childhood tells you he didn’t die…

Morf said:

I can see the point of it in a book that is part of a series. The problem a series author has is that not everybody is OCD enough to insist on reading them in order, and if somebody is dipping into the series for the first time it's a convenient way of giving them some background without the tedious "previously...." sort of introduction.

I can’t. The only purpose I can think of for this is as an excel spreadsheet kept by the author to keep track of who is who & what they look like!

Any well written book (IMHO) should be able to introduce characters (even to someone that has picked a book up in the middle of a series) without needing an introductory piece.

Morf said:

In the particular case of the Jodi Taylor book we started off discussing, while it didn't annoy me at the time I do feel (looking back at it) that it came very close to including spoilers - certainly some parts of the characters mentioned there are only revealed *during* the book - and so I don't think it was very well done.

Fence? Sitting on? Me? Never!

You see, it pissed me off straight away as it told me that the Time Police were involved, that the Nurse was stopping smoking so lost the humour in that scene, And that there was a cat so I knew it wasn’t a baby in ‘that’ scene… and so on

[Hamish Finn]

Why don't you just, like, totally not read the list of characters?

[DJRC]

I was actually disappointed with the Time Police scene. From the character list I was hoping for more. The scene didn't work because Max can frankly tell the Captain to go fk himself or she changes her mind and dissolves them.

Helen being on the wagon makes the introduction more funny because we already know why she is grumpy + it's in addito. To us already knowing she is normally ready to hit someone.

I like spoilers and regard those of you who get obsessive about such things as weirdos anyway.

[ali_kat]

Hamish Finn said:

Why don't you just, like, totally not read the list of characters?

Bit hard to avoid, especially on a kindle

[ali_kat]

DJRC said:

I like spoilers and regard those of you who get obsessive about such things as weirdos anyway.

I wouldn't say obsessive.

I just like there to be surprises in TV shows, films, books etc and object to other people spoiling that for the majority, thats just downright selfish IMHO

I'm not an extremeist by any means, I'm happy to watch trailers and for people to give reviews etc; but spoilers are a

You like spoilers? I bet you wouldn't have done if I'd told you who died before you'd read it

[DJRC]

Er to be honest Ali I always read the spoilers in the films and book reviews if possible before I read/see them!
I like knowing what is going to happen.

[ali_kat]

It's not me thats the weird one here then

[marcosgt]

I make a point of never reading a book with a character called "Hugh Bugbear" in it, as I know how it'll end.

M.

[Morf]

marcosgt said:

I make a point of never reading a book with a character called "Hugh Bugbear" in it, as I know how it'll end.

M.

<groan>

Would you believe I had to google "hugh bugbear" and see the hit on this thread before the penny dropped!

[jesusbuiltmycar]

ali_kat said:

It's a HUGH bug bear of mine

A book that lists the characters at the beginning.

I really, really, REALLY hate this!

IMHO, it's a huge spoiler to have a who is who & personality details are the start of a book.

Is it just me?

Depends on the genre. If you read epic fantasy it is often necessary, for example Steven Ericsson has 100s of POV characters and without the "Dramatis Personae" at the front of each book the "Malazan Book of the Fallen" would be very hard to follow.