That critique from my book club that made me rethink how I read endings

I brought up this thriller I finished last month, and my friend Sarah said I was too focused on the plot twist so I missed how the characters were built along the way. She pointed out that the ending only hits because the author spent 200 pages setting up small details in their relationships. Now I try to slow down around chapter 3 or 4 and note the quiet moments instead of just racing toward the reveal. Has anyone else had a reader call them out for missing the whole point of a book?

2 comments

2 Comments

nelson.gavin14d ago

Hear me out on this because I was totally in your shoes until last year. I got called out by my own book club for basically speed running a mystery novel and then complaining the ending felt flat. My friend Emily literally said "you missed the whole point, the characters were falling apart the whole time and you ignored it." It made me realize I treat endings like a prize I have to rush toward, but the real payoff is in the setup. So my question is, do you find yourself going back to reread those quiet moments after you finish a book, or do you try to notice them on the first read now? Because I always have to go back and flip through pages once I know where things are headed.

colemiller14d ago

That's a good question because I think it depends on the book. @nelson.gavin, you mentioned "the characters were falling apart" and that's the phrase that gets me. If the writer did their job right, I can usually pick up on those cracks the first time through, but it takes a certain kind of patience I don't always have. More often than not, I end up going back after the ending lands and skimming through those earlier chapters, almost like I'm looking for proof the author earned the ending. Do you ever find that some books feel almost boring on a reread once you know where the quiet moments are pointing, or does knowing the payoff make the setup feel more satisfying to you?