Mystery: A Seduction, a Strategy, a Solution

Why are people intrigued by mysteries, wonders Lehrer (A Book About Love) in this fascinating look at how humans respond to the unknown. In digging into the “mystery of mystery,” Lehrer begins with fiction, crediting Edgar Allan Poe with inventing a new kind of story whose appeal relied upon “the element of surprise” and turned readers into sleuths themselves, actively searching the texts for clues. He then examines why that itch is so gripping, maintaining that the biggest spikes in dopamine come from surprises. Lehrer branches out from there, surveying Shakespeare, who transformed a key element of the story that inspired Hamlet (making uncertain the question of whether his father had been murdered), the legendary blackout ending of The Sopranos, and the illusions of stage magicians. The only false note comes from a section endorsing a study that claimed plot spoilers actually enhance the reading experiences, which doesn’t mesh with his thesis that the unexpected matters most. Despite that dissonant note, this is a thought-provoking look at an aspect of human psychology—and literature—often taken for granted. (Aug.)