In the following essay, Campbell explores how subsequent readings of I Am the Cheese, while not involving the surprise of a first reading, allow readers to recognize clues and appreciate the literary structure of the novel.

P: Stop.

R: You mean stop reading?

P: Yes. You, the reader. Right here. First, before you

go on, you must answer one question.

R: What do you want to know?

P: Have you read I Am the Cheese yet?

R: No. I thought I'd read this chapter first.

P: That would be a great pity. It would spoil things for you—the suspense, the intriguing perplexities, the myriad shocks of discovery, the false leads—in a word, the fun. I would emphatically advise that you make the journey with Adam before you cover the same ground a second time with me.

R: All right.

P: Excellent. We shall...