There are many ways to skin a wizard. (Who's to criticize how someone enjoys their leisure reading? I too spped-read the later honor Harrington books, for precisely the reasons noted above.)

I do it with academic papers,too - but because my goal is to index it and to identify quickly if I need to read it more carefully now, or just to know enough about it that I can remember it exists if I need it later. Of course, I don't pretend it's even speed reading - I literally skip most of the interior text.

Personally I retain information better if I read the CliffsNotes before the novel itself.

I'm not concerned with spoiling the plot, but rather giving myself a structure to be built out with details. [There's a term for this in learning theory that was mentioned in Pragmatic Thinking and Learning, but ironically it's slipping my mind right now.]

Related - Here's an example of how I took notes on the book REMOTE. https://github.com/tedmiston/notes/blob/master/books/Remote....

Yea I suppose so. But I was always gonna re-read them, no matter the initial speed... I just didn't want someone else to spoil it I guess. I also find it easier to keep the plot in my head if I'm reading faster. If I read too slowly, I kind of forget what's happened. The experience is too similar to reality. Haha.