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Rereading

Question: Do you reread a lot? Why (not)? Name a book you have reread many times.

My Answer:

Yes.

I reread all the time. There are many, many books that I have read more times than I can count. Lately, I've been on a roll with reading new books instead of rereading, and I have so many new books I want to read that that looks far more tempting to me right now. However, the truth of the matter is that I get far more out of a book I read more than once. If I liked it, chances are good I will be reading that book again. If I don't reread a book, it usually means I didn't like it and considered it unworthy of my time. There are books that I initially couldn't get through that I went back and read happily, notably Stephen Hawking's The Theory of Everything, Madeleine L'Engle's A Circle of Quiet , and even Tolkien's The Hobbit.

I think the book that I have read the most is probably A Tangled Web by L.M. Montgomery. There is something about this book that never ceases to interest me, it has a very large and varied cast of characters and each one of their lives and especially the intersections in their lives resonates deeply with me. I haven't quite dug to the root of my interest, but I suspect it has something to do with a personal interest in a large and complicated extended family. The matriarch of the clan, Aunt Becky, is somewhat reminiscent of my own Nana.

I have also reread all of the Harry Potter books, Lord of the Rings books, and the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books numerous times. I suppose series leave more scope for characters and plots to develop and it's pleasing to remind myself again of the intricacies involved and make new observations.

Comments

Marie Cloutier said…
These days I hardly ever re-read. I did just finish IN COLD BLOOD for a second time, but that was the audio as opposed to the print which I read several years ago. It was wonderful to revisit this classic, and I know I should re-read more!

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