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5
02.08

Read it Once? Read it Twice?

In the past, I was 99.4 percent against re-reading books. Now, I’m not sure where I stand. Part of me is of the opinion that there are so many good books to read - I’ll never get to read them all - so why waste precious time re-reading things (when I’d like to read as many as possible).

Another part of me, the more mature and reasonable part of me, believes that there’s no harm in re-reading fabulous books, especially when I can’t remember their plots. I thought that my memory would serve me well, but it’s not. I can’t remember the books I read 10-12 years ago. I haven’t quite forgotten their basics, but the details are lost on me… I love details; if I can’t remember the details, I might as well not remember anything. And really, what’s the point of reading a lot of books if you don’t remember any of them?

Do you re-read books?

In other news, it looks like Mike Huckabee will win the Republican primary in my state and that Hillary Clinton will win the Democratic one. I lose double. :(

» Categories: Books

19 Comments to “Read it Once? Read it Twice?”

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I have recently re-read a book that I had first read when I was in the eighth grade. It’s one of my favorite books back then, when I came across it at the library I couldn’t remember all the details that made me enjoy the book in the first place. Honestly, after all the time that had passed, it was almost like I had never read it. As I re-reading, I came across things that made me go, “Ohh…I remember this now!” and then would I come across some things in the book that I hadn’t been able to fully grasp at the age I was when I first read it.

I’m also planning to re-read the Grapes of Wrath and 1984 as well.

Posted by: Kiera · February 6th, 2008 at 1:05 am · #

The way I see it, you’re not the same person when you re-read a book as you were the first time around. You’ll gain new things each time you re-read a book; sometimes it’ll help more or hinder more and you may even end up hating a book you loved 10 years ago. Every time you read something your life changes. (That’s very dramatic, I know.)

That said, I keep picking up books after which I say things like “I will totally re-read this in the future,” but I haven’t re-read any of them because that’s a few days of my time during which I could have read something new.

Posted by: Michelle · February 6th, 2008 at 1:10 am · #

I actually re-read books all the time - the amount of books I read every month kind of makes it impossible for me not to. :)

Posted by: Amanda · February 6th, 2008 at 1:23 am · #

I always re-read books; you pick up on so many hidden themes that you never did the first time around. It’s nice to be a little more objective too, as you’re not quite so “pulled in” to the story.

Posted by: Amber · February 6th, 2008 at 2:07 am · #

I re-read often enough. I try to wait at least a year or more between re-readings. There’s always something new to discover and, also, your state of mind changes so a book might comes across differently.

I bought a lot of books last year, though, so I’m still trying to get through those instead of re-reading favorites. I’m about three-quarters a way through that huge stack of new books!

Posted by: Gabrielle · February 6th, 2008 at 2:39 am · #

Despite it having been against my policy, I have re-read books before. This is something I’ve done with great regret… I’ve had a few, “oh, now I remember” moments. But, I’m not someone who picks up on new things the second time through. If I’m going to get something, I’m going to get it the first time. I’m 85% uncomfortable with the idea of reading a work again because I might have missed something the first time (I don’t have a problem with consulting a certain area - after having a discussion with someone who got something totally different out of it - but just re-reading the complete work because maybe I missed something - no). Hmm….

I don’t really know how to explain it, but to me - there’s something about re-reading material that just feels wrong. It might have to do with my memory. I seem to be a visual learner. When I read things, something incredibly similar to a copy of its pages stays in my head for awhile (not anything close to 10 years though :( ).. so, unless I’m trying to memorize a book word by word, re-reading is frustrating for me.

Regardless, I’ve reached a point where I can stomach the idea of reading something again if I haven’t read it in the last 3 or thereabouts years (and if I’m reading it again because I forgot something).

Kiera, it’s odd that you mentioned Grapes of Wrath and 1984 - because those are two books that I would consider looking at a second time (1984 especially). :D

Posted by: Chantelle · February 6th, 2008 at 3:20 am · #

I used to re-read books a lot, not so much now though because I don’t read as much, period. When I was in school I had a couple of favourites I must have read a good few times but they were always the easy going ones, books requiring a lot of thought are a daunting prospect for a second round. Nowadays when I do re-read it’s usually because a book will be one of a series and in waiting for the next to be published I’ve forgotten what happened in the previous.

Posted by: Charlie · February 6th, 2008 at 4:25 am · #

I only re-read my favorite books, and I enjoy them just as much, so I have no problems with it :)

Posted by: Sarai · February 6th, 2008 at 7:39 am · #

I can re-read books, especially if they were particularly amazing the first time. Some I’ve re-read because I read them a long time ago and completely forgot what happened but those were mostly books I read in High School. I haven’t had the time to read a new book lately, let alone re-read a book but I can’t until I can!

Posted by: Jamie · February 6th, 2008 at 8:21 am · #

It depends on the book. Sometimes I’d just get so bored of certain books, so I read them once and that’s it. There’s also books that I can read again, and again, and again.

Posted by: Kristina · February 6th, 2008 at 10:59 am · #

I think the only books I re-read are the Harry Potter books because so much goes on in them that I don’t remember it all, but once I start the book again it all comes flooding back to me.

Posted by: Cherry · February 6th, 2008 at 11:17 am · #

I don’t like re-reading books, because I know what happens in them. I’m a reader that doesn’t want to know how the book ends, until I finish reading the last page. There’s no harm in re-reading a book if you can’t remember the details though :).

Posted by: Yara · February 6th, 2008 at 1:29 pm · #

I reread books. Usually before I go to bed, but that’s because of HOW I read books. When I start reading a new book, I can’t put it down. I need to finish! And I look track of time, so I’ll end up staying up really late so I can finish it. Its problematic, y’know? Ha. So that’s why I read books I’ve already read before I go to bed. Because I can put them down whenever I want, and not be bothered by it.

Posted by: Jacky · February 6th, 2008 at 2:12 pm · #

I don’t usually re-read books, but sometimes I do. If it is a book that I read a long time ago, and I consider that a re-reading would make me see it with a different perspective, I go for it. It happens with movies too… there are movies that I saw a hundred times when I was a kid, and by watching them right now I can catch little details that may have escaped me years ago.

For books that are in English, language is another important factor. Years ago I couldn’t understand English as well as I do now, so a second reading would greatly help my understanding of it.

Posted by: Lene · February 6th, 2008 at 2:58 pm · #

I usually don’t read a book more than once, unless I have nothing else to read until I can get to the library. But I have re-read a few of my favourite books, just because I wanted to experience them again.

Posted by: Kaylee · February 6th, 2008 at 3:25 pm · #

I rarely re-read books with the exception of a select few that I enjoyed a lot. It’s also that I always go on and lurk around familiar shelves and rows of books in the library and come across books I’ve read, but pick it up to read again if I’m not currently reading anything. It’s not really a conscious decision, more an intrinsic one for me.

Posted by: Ramsha · February 6th, 2008 at 8:28 pm · #

Oh yes… a LOT, much to my mom’s displeasure. Why would I reread stuff when I could read something new? I’m such a time-waster :P… but some stuff was just so… good ;)

But I think I tend to exaggerate this re-reading stuff, so I might not be a very good example.

Posted by: Vera · February 7th, 2008 at 2:15 am · #

I LOVE rereading books! There are some that I’ve reread soo many times but can never get sick of; I think I just love reading in general. =P

Posted by: Katy · February 7th, 2008 at 2:06 pm · #

I love re-reading! I have so many books, and sometimes something will come up in conversation that will remind me of one. Sometimes I will re-read from the beginning. Or, I will find the part that intrigued me, and read from there to the end (sometimes without realizing!). I think, yes, there are a lot of books out there, but just because I’ve read something already doesn’t mean I should just… let it collect dust! Authors put their hearts and souls into this thing, and I think different mindsets are needed to fully appreciate each of the messages. It’s nice to look at it from another angle, and reflect, and see how your ideas and perceptions of something have changed.

Posted by: Aisling · February 7th, 2008 at 10:32 pm · #

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