Do you ever re-read a favorite book? I personally have never re-read a book. I hardly have time to keep up with reading the books that I purchased with good intentions of reading over my summer break.
The plus side of re-reading an old favorite is that you are no longer bothered by the business of finding out what happens. You can concentrate on details that you might have missed the first time. I imagine the downside of re-reading books is that you can’t keep up with new books…so you miss out.
What books have you re-read? Have you read any books more than twice? Was re-reading a different experience—more interesting, or less?
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7 Responses to Returning To Read Favorite Books
Yes, I have re-read books. I’ve re-read The Road Less Travelled by Scott Peck, The Thornbirds, another romance, Shanna, and at least 3 or 4 of the Harry Potter books. I highly recommend re-reading books that one finds interesting. Especially if you are young. My nephew read the Harry Potter’s Deathly Hallows and it was clear he missed some major events understandably. I encouraged him to re-read it later on as he’ll get more out of it. Reading is a skill and can always be improved upon. And you never know when you’ll glean something really profound from a book.
Honestly, I really haven’t and don’t think I would. There are so many books that I haven’t gotten to yet that I would feel “guilty” (stupid, I know) re-reading an old book when there is one waiting to be discovered!
That said, I recently purchased “A Moveable Feast” by Ernest Hemingway. I know I read it in high school, but can’t remember any specifics of it. So it’s on the bedstand waiting to be re-read (and hopefully remembered this time). Come to think of it, there are a few others like that…
I know that re-reading a book would be ideal but I really can’t see me doing it and I do not think I have ever done that before. I just do not have the time.
Pandie, I love to re-read the Harry Potter books as well! I also go back to the Little House series and pick those up once in awhile. Sometimes the worst day in the world can be cured by reading an old kids book, like “You Are Special” by Max Lucado or Dr. Seuss’ “Oh, the Places You’ll Go.”
I used to re-read favorites all of the time, and then I just sort of abruptly stopped. I’m not sure why. Now, even if I love a book, once is enough for me. The most I might do is keep it around in case I want to re-read certain scenes. But I can’t see reading anything from start to finish if I’ve already read it (unless I totally don’t remember it).
One exception: I’m going to be re-reading The Sound and the Fury for a class this semester, and I did read that before, in high school. I don’t think I could really get away with not reading it, but even if I could, I’m kind of curious to see if I view it differently after all these years. For a long time it’s been sort of my benchmark for “challenging but rewarding” fiction, so I’m hoping to get even more out of it this time around.
But other than that, I agree that there are too many new books competing for my attention. The new Diana Gabaldon book came out today, and that sucker is 832 pages. I need to pick it up this weekend. I’ll be lucky to finish it by Christmas.
I’ve re-read TONS of books. I can think of a few I’d love to reread right now!
Far From the Madding Crowd, Tess of the D’urbervilles. All of Jane Austen. I’ve read some more than three times.
A Story of a Soul. I think it’s meant to be re-read.
I used to read Gone With the Wind every summer when I was younger. Love it.
What about Shakespeare? Hasn’t anyone gone back to those plays?
For one of my literature classes in college, our professor handed out the list of books we’d read…probably a dozen…and asked us to check off those we’d already read in high school. I’d read every single one. I reread them all again and learned or enjoyed so much more! Maybe that is why I do reread books? That experience taught me it is definitely worth it?
I re read favorite book all the time. They are like old friends. I did this as a kid too. I think I read My Friend Flick 20 times. One of my adult re reads is the Rabbit series by John Updike. I am the same age as his son, and went through those times that he writes about. The Rabbit Redux book takes place when Nelson is 12 or so and at that age we had the moon walk, all the drama over the war, etc. Somehow it’s like reading a historical novel where I was part of the history but I really love Updike’s writing. Right now I am re reading Love in the Time of Cholera and I always have one of David Sedaris’ books around just to dip into.