My book club's avocado toast debate last Tuesday got way too heated

We were discussing a novel where a character makes a big life change and someone said they were being irresponsible. I joked that it was like the avocado toast argument from finance bros. Then this guy Phil went OFF for like 20 minutes about how the character in chapter 4 actually had a savings plan and we all missed it because we were too busy arguing about food metaphors. I realized I'd been reading the whole book as a comedy when it was supposed to be a tragedy. The narrator's tone is dry but not funny. I had to look at the book club questions on page 312 to see that everyone else got it. Has anyone else finished a whole book with the wrong genre in their head? How do you snap out of it?

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jennifer_fisher16d ago

Phil going on a 20 minute rant about chapter 4 savings plan is honestly hilarious because he basically became the finance bro he was mocking. The real issue is the narrator tricked you twice, once by being dry, and again by making the tragedy so subtle you had to read study questions to catch it. I bet if you reread the first page with the ending in mind, the whole tone shifts like a horror movie where you know the twist. Book clubs are wild for this, people defend their first read like it's a personality trait.