Do you reread books?

[Anonymous]

If so, what are some of your favorite rereads? What value do you find in rereading vs. reading something new to you?

If not, is there a reason you don't? Have you tried it and disliked it?

[Anonymous]

Thread here:
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/30/1111746.page

[Anonymous]

Rarely, but there's one author I will always re-read again and again: Howard Norman

[Anonymous]

Here is another thread about re-reading books:
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1182127.page#26692376

[Anonymous]

Only by accident.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If so, what are some of your favorite rereads? What value do you find in rereading vs. reading something new to you?

If not, is there a reason you don't? Have you tried it and disliked it?

I have a few books I like to reread. They are sort of like comfort food. There is one series I read to try to fall asleep when things get hectic- it lulls me to relax and quiet my brain.

[Anonymous]

I may re-read more than I read. I have an ebb and flow where I read a new book and it either goes into the fold or it doesn’t. It’s fascinating to re-read knowing the big reveals or what happens and then finding clues you did not realize were clues along the way.

[Anonymous]

Yes, sometimes. I tend to reread big sweeping epics and find that I catch stuff I missed on the first try around. Usually I appreciate books more with a reread; eg LOTR, Russian classics like Anna Karenina, Hyperion (Dan Simmons), and Kristin Lavransdatter.

The exception to this is Mists of Avalon. I read it first in HS and LOVED it. I then reread it in my 30s and was surprised to find how it really hadn’t aged well. I found myself exasperated by certain characters’ motivations and actions, and horrified by others. Things that I’d overlooked when I was younger got under my skin with the reread.

[Anonymous]

Almost never. But I happened upon Prince of Tides, by Pat Conroy, on Libby today and decided to download it on audio to re"read".

I first read it around 1990. I remember that I loved it, but I can't remember anything else - when I read the book summary, nothing about the characters or the plot seemed familiar. (Even if it starts to seem familiar as I get going, this one strikes me as the kind of book that might hit very differently at age 54 than it did at age 20.)

[Anonymous]

I used to. And, I took advantage of reading to my kids to revisit favorites. But, I find as I get older I prefer not to spend time on something I have already read. I have wondered if at some point that will reverse and I will prefer to read things I already know are good or I will want to see how my perspective has changed. There is also always a danger your favorites will disappoint for some reason.

[Anonymous]

Yes, but I have anxiety, dyslexia and am a fast reader. Usually it's once a year, but depending on my mood may be 2-3 times per year.

[Anonymous]

Yes, it’s always interesting what holds up on a second read and what doesn’t. I only reread stuff that I thought was absolutely excellent though.

Favorite rereads: “Wolf Hall” trilogy (excellent each time); “The Secret History” (my comfort read); “Wuthering Heights” (went from one of my favorite novels as a teen to wanting to throw it across the room as an adult!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, sometimes. I tend to reread big sweeping epics and find that I catch stuff I missed on the first try around. Usually I appreciate books more with a reread; eg LOTR, Russian classics like Anna Karenina, Hyperion (Dan Simmons), and Kristin Lavransdatter.

The exception to this is Mists of Avalon. I read it first in HS and LOVED it. I then reread it in my 30s and was surprised to find how it really hadn’t aged well. I found myself exasperated by certain characters’ motivations and actions, and horrified by others. Things that I’d overlooked when I was younger got under my skin with the reread.

There's something interesting in the discovery that's worthwhile - that you've changed and that society has changed. It's helpful to reflect on that too help realize that we'll still change going forward.

[Anonymous]

Yes. My Kindle has a collection called Read But Good Ones. It has books ranging from Eye of the Needle and Return of the Condor to The Autobiography of Henry VII and the Wolf Hall trilogy. They need to be books I can lose myself in. Baldacci etc. aren't that.

[Anonymous]

I love rereading books! I had to pare down my collection over the years, and I regret it. Otherwise, I’d have quite the library by now.

Goodbye, Mr. Chips always makes me cry. Very sentimental. I don’t reread the sad, thrilling, or informative books, because I’m sad enough, already informed from the first reading, etc.