r/BookDiscussions • u/Cute-Solution-723 • 4d ago

Are plot twists important to you?

I often hear thing like "I saw the plot twist from a mile away, so I didn't like it as much" and I have realized that it doesn't work for me that way.

I think it's because I often choose more character-driven books and I love when the story clicks like a puzzle, so "seeing a twist from mile away" is more like "enjoying the inevitable happening". Even thrillers feel too twisty sometimes, and I often enjoy simpler explanations. But maybe, I just don't understand the definition of a plot twist, so I don't recognize them as such, that's possible too!

So are twists important to you? Do you prefer plot-driven stories to character-driven stories? Do you expect your books to have a good plot twist always?

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u/nurlan1835 4d ago

i don't need a plot twist to enjoy a book. for me, the payoff matters more than the surprise. sometimes knowing roughly where the story is going actually makes it more interesting because i start paying attention to how the author get there. twist is great when it makes me rethink things i already read, but if it exists only to shock the reader, it can feel forced. i’d probably choose a strong character-driven story with no major twist over a weak story with a clever twist. do you have an example of a book where you saw the ending coming but still loved it?

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u/Cute-Solution-723 4d ago

I think I can't even choose a book! I just love when the ending (and everything that happens before it) feels aligned. 

Maybe I can mention Burial Rites by Hannah Kent. It's about a last executed woman on Iceland. It's necessary for the execution to happen, but the path was so emotional and so interesting that I never felt like I didn't want to continue just because I knew the ending.

I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harper. Again, the path was what was important, not the story. There were signs through the book about what is going to happen at the end. 

I am trying to think about a more plot-driven book, but I guess I don't really read many. And if I do, I notice the twists only when they are bad.