vera944•7mo ago

Why does our book club treat different opinions like wrong answers?

This makes debates tense instead of fun.

3 comments

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3 Comments

the_jennifer7mo ago

Watched my friend get totally shut down at her mystery book club last month. She suggested the killer might have had a good reason in this thriller, and two members just talked over her saying she "missed the point." She hasn't gone back since, which stinks because she loved finding clues.

9

adams.joel7mo ago

Did you see that article about how some book clubs fail because they squash different views? I remember reading that mystery authors actually APPRECIATE when readers debate the killer's motives, it means they're thinking hard. Your friend had a totally valid point, and shutting her down like that is just rude. Exploring why a character does something can be the BEST part of discussing a book. It makes me mad when groups act like their interpretation is the only correct one. No wonder she quit, that environment ruins the whole fun of sharing ideas.

4

samlewis7mo ago

Actually used to be the person wanting a single right answer, idk why. A friend kept arguing about a side character's choices in a book we read, and it drove me nuts. But then her take made me notice way more details I'd skipped, and it totally changed how I saw the whole story. Maybe it's just me but debating the gray areas is what makes a book stick with you.

1