Re-reading old favorites - do you or don't you?


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Spider is offline Spider Post #11  February 1,2010, 9:23am
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I reread, but not without some time between readings, maybe several years. Everytime I read again, I find new observations and insights. Pride and Prejudice has become one of the books I appreciate more each time - it's funnier with every reading. I read it about every two years.

As for lighter books, I've reread A Round-heeled Woman (about a sixty-something woman's search for a sexual partner) several times, but that's nonfiction. The novel Spending is also something I revisit often - just a beautifully told story.

Some of the new readings have been prompted by necessity - I disliked As I Lay Dying intensely when I first read it (I was about 18), but had to read it again about 3 years ago and it was phenomenal! It's on the table beside the sofa now, waiting for a third reading. I found the same thing happening with a lot of poetry I'd read when I was a young'un.

For me, finding new layers of meaning is a major benefit to rereading. I think a lot of it comes from accumulating life experience and being able to see more in the words than I did the first time.
 
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yoga_gal is offline yoga_gal Post #12  February 1,2010, 3:58pm
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Anything by Jane Austen I can reread and occasionally do. Pride and Prejudice tops the list. I like to listen to David Sedaris books over and over again.
 
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gcoleman99 is offline gcoleman99 Post #13  February 11,2010, 3:19am
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I can't tell you how many times I've read The Hobbit and Lord Of The Rings. Right now, thanks to the new book out, I'm re-reading The Wheel Of Time series. And I've read The Chronicles of Narnia many times, as well as the entire Pern series by Anne McCaffey.
 
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BobbiLynn is offline BobbiLynn Post #14  April 5,2010, 12:48pm
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Yes! I re-read new and old favorites over & over. I keep up with new books either by keeping track of a well-loved auther or listening to other opinions on new books. But, I feel like I'm catching up with an old friend when I go threw my "keepers" to decide which one to re-visit. I'm glad I'm not the only one!
 
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Northern_Gal is offline Northern_Gal Post #15  April 6,2010, 1:55pm
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Glad I'm not the only one out there! There is something so relaxing about re-reading a favourite book, like a conversation with an old friend - I always find something a little bit new, but it's so very comfortable to sit and re-read something you know so well....
I have re-read The Lord of the Rings trilogy many times, some of Heinlein's books, most of Robin McKinley's books, and a fair few of Elizabeth Berg's....also all the Sherlock Holmes stories when enough time has passed between readings that I forget a lot of the stories lol....and of course the Narnia series, which I loved as a kid and am excited to see has become popular again.
 
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alchemist10 is offline alchemist10 Post #16  May 7,2010, 6:51am
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I re-read all of my fav books. Must have read the Foundation series about 5 times. I can read or watch all of Shakespeare or Ben Jonson's plays. I do the same with movies. I think it is just the way my brain is wired. Some people ask me how I can re-read or watch something as I already know what happens. And I just feel like the person has lost out on the true experience of reading something. It is not like I am reading Harry Potter and want to see who dies. I am reading a book that teaches me something new everytime I read it. Whether that is a harry potter book or not it doesn't matter. I think we are a rare breed that re-read.
 
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outdoorjeanie is offline outdoorjeanie Post #17  May 8,2010, 10:21am
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I, too, am a re-reader! Some books I read because the second time around I seem to be able to squeeze more "juice" out of them! I remember reading "Gone with the Wind" when I was 13 in a single day. I simply could not put that book down! I re-read that book bringing back the pictures in my mind of the settings, people, clothes, ALL of it! I must say, when I finally saw the movie it was a huge disappointment!. The mind does such a better job of bringing a story to life... Re-read "The Shining" and C.S Lewis's work; marvelous stuff... ideas that take better shape with me in a re-read.

A re-read book, in my opinion would be the highest form of compliment to the author. I believe we re-readers only do that with the books that those that invoke the most feelings, sensations and ideas.
 
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outdoorjeanie is offline outdoorjeanie Post #18  May 8,2010, 10:26am
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Jane Austin in on my list, too!
 
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al_g is offline al_g Post #19  June 15,2010, 10:17am
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I'm always re-reading books. I've got some from Jr. High on my book shelves that I'll pull down and read. Of course I was reading adult novels by 6th grade. I love having my collection of several hundred hardbacks.
 
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krohnan is offline krohnan Post #20  June 15,2010, 6:31pm
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I mostly re-read The Hobbit & LOTR, been doing so since I first read them in elementary school. The Wizard of Oz also fell into that category although my copy is buried somewhere in the basement so it's been a while.

Dan Abnett's Gaunt's Ghosts are falling into the same boat as well as William King's Gotrek & Felix stories as well as the 1sr 4 books of the Horus Heresy series, especially the first book Horus Rising by Dan Abnett and fourth book Flight of the Eisenstein by James Swallow.
 
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