Apparently some people think you should never re-read books, because, and I am summarizing, there are so many books out there to read, why would you ever waste time re-reading?
I do read a lot of new (or new to me) books, but for me one of the pleasures of reading is re-reading. I especially like to reread a book that I haven't read in years. It's kind of like parallax vision, maybe? I remember what I thought or how I understood a book when I was 20 or 30; how will I see or understand the same book now? I'm a different person now, so I understand the book/see the book differently.
I'd go so far as to say you haven't really understood a book if you haven't read it more than once. This is especially true for me, I think, because I read really fast (though I don't skim unless the book is terrible and I'm trying to see if it's worth finishing). When I'm gulping down a book because I want to know what happens, I don't always spend a lot of time thinking about what's happening. Re-reading lets me do that.
I also like to reread a book I've read maybe a dozen times. It's like watching your favorite movie or listening to a favorite song. I enjoy the beats and the scenes because I know them so well.
Recently I've discovered the joy of listening to a book that I've read a dozen times. The audiobook of Nobody's Fool, for example -- listening to that was such a different experience from reading it. Same for Jo Walton's Thessaly trilogy.
What about y'all? Do you re-read?
If one doesn't reread, what would be the point of owning physical books (perhaps the non-rereaders also don't think people should have bookshelves). I like being able to be idly reminded of some author and then pick up their work again - and yes, to come back to them as the person I am now, not the person I was when I first read it.
ReplyDeleteRight? I try to only keep books if I'm likely to re-read them. If you were never going to re-read books, why not donate them all to the library when you're done? Think how much room you'd have without any bookshelves! (Maybe that's just me.)
ReplyDelete