第1部分(第4/8 页)

　that　I　discovered　Dickens's　novels　had　been　enjoyed　by　families　of　his　day　in　much　the　same　fashion。　only　their　fireside　agonizings　over　the　fate　of　Pip　and　Oliver　and　David　Copperfield　went　on　for　years　instead　of　a　couple　of　months　（even　the　longest　of　the　Post　serials　rarely　ran　much　more　than　eight　installments）。

There　was　one　other　thing　that　I　liked　about　the　idea；　an　appeal　that　I　suspect　only　the　writer　of　suspense　tales　and　spooky　stories　can　fully　appreciate：　in　a　story　which　is　published　m　installments；　the　writer　gains　an　ascendancy　over　the　reader　which　he　or　she　cannot　otherwise　enjoy：　simply　put。　Constant　Reader；　you　cannot　flip　ahead　and　see　how　matters　turn　out。

I　still　remember　walking　into　our　living　room　once　when　I　was　twelve　or　so　and　seeing　my　mother　in　her　favorite　rocker；　peeking　at　the　end　of　an　Agatha　Christie　paperback　while　her　finger　held　her　actual　place　around　page　50。　I　was　appalled；　and　told　her　so　Q　was　twelve。　remember。　an　age　at　which　boys　first　dimly　begin　to　realize　that　they　know　everything）；　suggesting　that　reading　the　end　of　a　mystery　novel　before　you　actually　get　there　was　on　a　par　with　eating　the　white　stuff　out　of　the　middle　of　Oreo　cookies　and　then　throwing　the　cookies　themselves　away。　She　laughed　her　wonderful　unembarrassed　laugh　and　said　perhaps　that　was　so；　but　sometimes　she　just　couldn't　resist　the　temptation。　Giving　in　to　temptation　was　a　concept　I　could　understand；　I　had　plenty　of　my　own；　even　at　twelve。　But　h