I hate when people say "spoilers don't actually affect your enjoyment of the work". YES. THEY DO. THEY JUST DID. I'd rather have not been thinking about that except in the manner that the text revealed it. Just because *you* don't care doesn't change how *I* consume narratives.

If the author does not intend for me to know something, I don't want to know it.

If the author does not intend for me to know something, I don't want to know it.

You are wrong. I am a stranger on the internet, and I know different, so here's where I spoil Cowboy Bebop for you.

Which is a conversation I watched play out a month or so ago--sure, it's been out since forever, but the spoiler was deliberately reaching for something a decent number of the site's readers might be interested in soon enough, but have managed to stay clean so far, because it just doesn't come up in random discussion much.

But I don't think the two of them falling in love is the driving piece of narrative bones. It's important only because the plot deals of how they will resolve and deal with this fact given the constraints of their life that is interesting.

I think the book is actually plotted well and I love the jumbled up timeline. Everyone I have spoken to has said that at some point they have two realizations. The first is that the dates on the chapters matter and the second is WRT Bailey and his importance which most everyone doesn't realize until it begins to happen.

To me it was a big deal, because it's what changed the conflict from "who will win?" to "how will they both avoid losing?"

The first is that the dates on the chapters matter

Oh dear. I'm planning on doing it via audiobook (if the library has it), so I'll have to pay special attention!

I went back and forth from the text to the table of contents on different devices, and went back and made a note at the start of each chapter what had just happened.

I haven't taken notes on a piece of fiction in donkey's years. And I was never that good at it, but the events that were a year apart totally confused me until one of the characters called out it had been a year since the previous chapter's events.

I would either have been much more confused with a audiobook, or maybe I wouldn't pick up enough to work out it was confusing.

The Washington Post reviewed Jenny Lawson's book - pretty good review.

ita !, insent.

Maybe this belongs in another thread, but Moxie (Magda Pecsenye) of Ask Moxie (kid advice) has written a book proposal and is interested in recommendations for an agent or publisher. Her request is here: [link] I went to college with her, so if you're uncomfortable saying something publicly let me know and I can hook you up.

erinaceous's sister Kate reps nonfiction, for what that's worth.