Things I never realised about a book until...

[SpaceChampion]

I can't explain it. I have no idea why. But until I started reading Rune of the Earth, the 1st book of the 3rd series of Thomas Covenant novels by Stephan R Donaldson (7th book overall), I never realised that the Bloodguard were telepathic.

In the Pern novels, I of course knew Lessa of Pern could communicate with all dragons; it was only yesterday I read a comment on io9 about how she could also push / lean of people telepathically to influence them. Is this true?? Never occurred to me.

I guess I have a blind spot about telepathy.

What didn't you realise about a book you've read until long after?

[HexMachina]

I didn't realise just how effective hardback books were as weapons until I threw one across the room (blasphemous, I know) in a fit of temper one evening and chipped the paint work on the wall. Now I routinely carry one around with me, seemingly to read, in actual fact to use in case of a mugging.

[buff daddy]

I didn't realise just how effective hardback books were as weapons until I threw one across the room (blasphemous, I know) in a fit of temper one evening and chipped the paint work on the wall. Now I routinely carry one around with me, seemingly to read, in actual fact to use in case of a mugging.

You could also hide a knife in it like they do in prison movies and get double your self-defense value out of literature.

[Darth Richard II]

Well, there was a lot of stuff I read growing up where the "message" or whatever you want to call it completely slipped me by. Both stuff I violently disagree with and agree with.

Hmm you know I also seem to not be able to tell if someone is obviously a werewolf. Like, someone shows up and goes oh hey its a full moon I have to lock myself up because im a werewolf and then a week later I'm like wait....was that dude a werewolf?

[maarsen]

I didn't realise just how effective hardback books were as weapons until I threw one across the room (blasphemous, I know) in a fit of temper one evening and chipped the paint work on the wall. Now I routinely carry one around with me, seemingly to read, in actual fact to use in case of a mugging.

Way back in the 60's, My oldest brother had a copy of Abbie Hoffman's 'Steal This Book'. In it he showed how to use a rolled up newspaper as a self defense weapon to be used when attacked by riot cops.

[williamjm]

In the Pern novels, I of course knew Lessa of Pern could communicate with all dragons; it was only yesterday I read a comment on io9 about how she could also push / lean of people telepathically to influence them. Is this true?? Never occurred to me.

If it's true then I didn't realise it either.

What didn't you realise about a book you've read until long after?

That Narnia was a huge Christian allegory. In retrospect, the last book does make more sense now, I think I was confused by the ending at the time.

[Teng Ai Hui]

I had no clue about the L+R=J theory until I first started following this forum.

[Darth Richard II]

Ha, yes to the last two posts. I never even cared that much about who Jon Snows parents were, hell I still don't that much.

And man, Narnia went completely over my head as a kid.

[Wee baby Shamus]

Since I have been reading books on my iPad I don't know how many pages the book has compared to a REAL book.

[unJon]

I never caught at the end of Blind Sight that

vampires had taken over Earth.

Also didn't catch R+L for sure.

I also never got at all in KJ Parker engineer trilogy

the motivation for the main character. I mean WTF man have some self respect and don't got crawling back to her.

[Francis Buck]

I could probably write a million things about The Second Apocalypse that I didn't realize until much later on, but the biggest one is (kinda spoilers?):

The extent to which the Gods are not only real, but are incredibly intertwined with the events and general reality of Earwa. It didn't sink in until the fourth book, even though a character basically straight up tells you the situation at the end of the third book.

.

There's a ton of stuff in ASOIAF as well, R+L=J being just one among many.

ETA: Same goes for what Triskele said regarding Book of the New Sun.

[Darth Richard II]

I never knew Tracy Hickman was a dude til I saw a picture. True story.

[sj4iy]

I didn't realize that Animal Farm was an allegory on communism the first time I read it when I was 10. I read it again in high school and understood it then.

[Wee baby Shamus]

I didn't know that the author name Kim Harrison is actually a pseudonym.

[Errant Bard]

If it's true then I didn't realise it either.

"If it's true"? Come on, it's been a long time since I read the stuff, but it's spelled out right in the introduction of the first book, Dragonflight: that is how she could ruin Ruatha Hold, stay undetected and how she was caught when she tried to influence F'lar. I mean, it's not like there is a dragon around when she thinks about the "pushing" she does.

[Night's_King]

Who is this creepy guy with the pink cape, who just stabbed Robb Stark in the heart?

[Yersinia]

I'm ashamed to admit that when I read All Quiet on the Western Front as a young teen, I was well into the book before I realized that Paul and his buddies were German.

In my defense, Paul is a common English name, and looking up information about a book or author was a lot more cumbersome in those days than it is now.

[HexMachina]

If it's true then I didn't realise it either.

That Narnia was a huge Christian allegory. In retrospect, the last book does make more sense now, I think I was confused by the ending at the time.

Narnia went over my head too, which is hardly surprising since I knew the vare bones about Christianity. I simply read it and enjoyed the stories. The Last Battle also confused me as a child.

I didnt realise Robin Hobb was a woman until I'd read up to the Tawny Man. It took even longer to learn that she was also Megan Lindholm, and I only recently learned that her name is actually Margaret

[unJon]

I didnt realise Robin Hobb was a woman until I'd read up to the Tawny Man. It took even longer to learn that she was also Megan Lindholm, and I only recently learned that her name is actually Margaret

Mind blown on the Megan Lindholm thing.

[SkynJay]

I'm ashamed to admit that when I read All Quiet on the Western Front as a young teen, I was well into the book before I realized that Paul and his buddies were German.

In my defense, Paul is a common English name, and looking up information about a book or author was a lot more cumbersome in those days than it is now.

Same problem. So used to reading books about 'our side,' especially young. I think our teacher deliberately set up the reading that way too.