It’s amazing sometimes how it’s the smallest moments in life, the offhand conversations, or the words uttered when we’re only half paying attention that end up impacting us in great ways.
When I was a sophomore in high school, I had a teacher who somehow managed to mention in class that he never reread anything because he would never be able to read all the books in the world and he saw no point in revisiting something when there were undiscovered and unconsumed books.
From that point on, that shaped how I viewed rereading. I considered rereading to be a waste of my valuable time on earth, I should be discovering all of the other wonderful stories and books out there, I only have limited time after all. See, I know it was this teacher, who I really respected, that influenced me because out of all of the things I remember from his classes, this is the most deeply embedded inside of me.
Fourteen years later, I’m just now starting to recover. With the exception of Harry Potter and the Bible, I haven’t reread a book in all of that time. I’ve driven myself to endlessly read the next book, even if it ended up not being all that great. I’ve read a lot of books, but you know what? The number of books I haven’t read hasn’t really seemed to get any smaller. I can still have a conversation with a person and despite the fact that I read around 125 books a year, I’ll feel totally illiterate.
I’ve started rethinking this. I think there are quite a few books out there that beg to be reread. I think there are quite a few books out there whose deepest treasures can’t be mined from one reading alone. After all, for me at least, the first read through is often for story alone.
I’ve been writing lately about how my reading philosophy is changing and this is a huge part of it. I’ve spent the last week rereading The Hunger Games trilogy interspersed with new reads for the Inspys Awards and my appreciation for the series grows with the rereads. I think there is a lot to be discovered in these books, things I would have missed on one read alone. But that’s not all, I also picked up The Sacredness of Questioning Everything, a book I read earlier this year that pretty much set the course for my year. I intended to use it in something I was writing but found myself drawn right back to the page almost as if reading it for the first time. The book is so rich in its concepts that one read is simply insufficient for processing the ideas. It’s a book that can be a companion.
As someone who reads the Bible regularly, it’s funny that I didn’t pick up on this earlier. After all, the words in Scripture often come alive to me in new ways and I begin to understand them in different ways for different contexts throughout my life. It stands to reason the same can happen in other books as well.
And just beyond the simple joy of digging out deeper treasures, there’s something comforting about a story and characters I already know.
I know there are dangers in rereading. I do, really. Sometimes a book is actually meant to be a one time experience. I’m not saying I’m going to reread everything, what I’m saying is that I’m no longer going to feel guilty if I want to go back into a book or read it again. I’m no longer going to feel that this is wasting my life.
Books, after all, are like people. Complex and layered. More than meets the eye. Understood better, the deeper you go. I’m ready to get to know them on a more intimate level.
Do you re-read books? Why or why not?
About the author:
Amy Riley is a thirty year old blogger who rediscovered a passion for the way the written word changes lives when she worked in adult literacy. A firm believer in the power of story, she blogs about the books she reads and their impact in her life. She is also the creator of Book Blogger Appreciation Week, an event designed to promote the excellent work book bloggers do in the preservation of a literate culture. The festivities kick off September 13, so be sure to check them out.
This post originally appeared at her blog My Friend Amy.
ibeeeg says
I like rereading books because as you mentioned….the first time around is for the storyline, and then for me, the second time around if for all of the details that I missed while paying attention to the overall story. I don’t reread everything,mind you, I save the rereads for the books that I truly loved, and felt a connection, and that I want to dig deeper. With that said though, there really is only one series of books that I can read over and over again and still *feel* the characters, and that the story still lives for me.
Yes, I so agree with you, books are like people with complex layers that you cannot fully understand with only one experience. I am glad that you are venturing out into the reread world. 🙂
By the way, I am reading the Bible all the way through in 90 Days and geesh…that is a tough venture but a well worth one. I plan on rereading the Bible starting in January, but I will take a year this next time around…maybe in chronological order or maybe a different route.
Happy Rereading! 😀
Amy says
Thanks! What series of books works like that for you?
And reading the Bible in 90 days? That’s a very big goal…good for you! 🙂
bekahcubed says
I’ve been a re-reader most of my life. But now that I’m four years into a goal to read every book in my branch library, I’ve decreased my re-reading quite a bit.
It hasn’t stopped me from re-reading, it’s just made me more judicious about it. After all, just how useful is re-reading popular Christian fiction? I can always pick up a new title that I haven’t read before and get the same thing–entertainment, turning off my brain.
But I still re-read some of those richer items–Children’s classics, Shakespeare, select nonfiction. For now, I feel content with my level of re-reading. And if I don’t, I can always change it 🙂
Jennifer (5 Minutes for Books) says
I also reread a lot less frequently than I used to, simply because they are so many books that I want to read (and more published every year!).
Amy says
Right, I don’t plan to reread everything…baby steps! There is some Christian fiction I’d like to reread though, for example, The Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers made a huge impact on me the first time I read it and I’ve wanted to revisit it for awhile now.
Loretta says
Some books do beg to be re-read. Currently I’m on a quest to read everything Madeline L’Engle wrote, which means re-reading several books. Some for the 4th or 5th time. A good author can stand up to a re-reading of their books. (Which is why very rarely does popular Christian fiction or popular chick lit beg to be re-read.)
Jennifer (5 Minutes for Books) says
My daughter is about to read L’Engle’s Ring of Endless Light. We’ve read the other Austin family books.
I want to read some of her adult fiction, because I really enjoyed the two I read (and have actually been wanting to reread A Live Coal In The Sea because it really impacted me when I read it before.
Amy says
Heh, I was actually thinking I wouldn’t mind rereading Sophie Kinsella’s Can You Keep a Secret? I remember the first time I read it, I absolutely devoured it and laughed and cried…the whole thing. I think it would make a great comfort reread. But for the most part, I’ll only probably reread books that really lend themselves to it…The Hunger Games really does…it’s actually a very layered series. (I could seem some people writing it off, so I wanted to mention that!)
Jennifer (5 Minutes for Books) says
Amy — I plan to reread Hunger Games too. I felt like I missed out on Mockingjay because it had been a year since I read Catching Fire. I think I would have enjoyed it more going straight into it.
Nancy says
I put off Mockingjay a few days so I could re-read Catching Fire and I was very happy I made that decision. I felt I didn’t need to re-read The Hunger Games but Catching Fire had a lot more in it than just the games.
Carrie, Reading to Know says
AMEN to this!!! I’ve been more and more impressed that I’m spending time with “new” that is less than important instead of re-reading greater works that would be more impacting and life changing if I’d go back and visit with them again.
I’m with Loretta in the above comment. While Christian fiction or popular chick lit might be a fun diversion (and fun diversions are called for every now and again!) we could be/should be spending our time with quality books.
As you say – good books are complex and layered and deserve a little more attention.
Jennifer (5 Minutes for Books) says
I only reread books that really did affect me — either greatly entertained me or I felt I had something to learn from them.
Amy says
I agree, I almost wonder if some books don’t give more value on the reread. We recently read Godric by Frederick Buechner for Faith and Fiction Saturday and I think that’s a book that would really give added value in the reread.
Gerri says
I agree with you, sometimes you just can’t take it all in the first time around. I have several books I have set aside to reread, starting this week. I completely understand what you are saying when a book just comes along at just the right time. I have had that experience a couple of times. Also, I clicked on the link and read your review of The Sacredness of Questioning Everything, I think I’m going to have to get my hands on that book.
Amy says
Oh I hope you do! It’s really fabulous. Enjoy your rereads!
Barbara H. says
There are some books I love to reread — sometimes it’s like a comfy visit with an old friend. There are also non-fiction books I reread because there was no way to assimilate all the information the first time around. Each time through gives me a little something more than I got the first time. But I do think it’s true that one time through is enough for many books, and I would reread more if I didn’t have so many new books stacked up and waiting.
Jennifer (5 Minutes for Books) says
Barbara “A comfy visit with an old friend” is exactly how I feel when rereading a favorite.
Amy says
Definitely not suggesting all books should be reread, though I am starting to understand people who would rather reread an old favorite than a new mediocre book.
Barbara says
I tend to reread series since I always go back to the start of it whenever a new book comes out. I can’t really think of a stand alone book that I’ve read more than once.
Petula says
I don’t normally reread books although I have reread a couple/few. No particular reason. I think there are some classics I read in high school and college that I should reread because I didn’t appreciate them or fully understand them at the time. Sometimes I’ll reread one that’s part of a series when it’s been along time between subsequent books. And there are some nonfiction ones – like The Secret or something similar – that I don’t read all the way through the first time so I review then continue reading.
My daughter is reading my copies of VC Andrews’ books and she started over from the beginning (Flowers in the Attic) and I was about her age I did the same thing.
Books are so wonderful. It’s like I can’t get enough and I don’t have enough time to read all of them and go back and reread. So I kind of understand what your teacher was saying although I think he was a little off base on that. Just a little. 🙂
Jennifer (5 Minutes for Books) says
Oh I remember VC Andrews from high school too. They were so creepy and scandalous!
Heather J says
It’s funny that you write about this, because I’ve seen similar posts on other blogs lately and it’s something I’ve been thinking about myself. I want to make it a goal in the coming year to re-read some old favorites and some books that I simply don’t remember much about. I miss the feeling of revisiting old “friends” and remembering their adventures …
Julie says
I have a “keeper” shelf … well, actually, quite a few .. filled with books that I know I will enjoy re-reading a few months, a year, or even two years, after the first read. It includes books that made me laugh, books that made me cry, and books that made me think, as well as books that made me forget that I was firmly planted in the good old USA in the present year. Re-reading is a wonderful way to lose oneself all over again and catch nuances that weren’t caught on the first read! Glad you’re finally shaking off the words of that old teacher!
Upstatemomof3 says
I read and reread books plenty. I usually say it is a sign of how much I like a book to see how many times I have read it. There are countless numbers of other books out there and I suppose any time I spend rereading a book is one less book I can read in this life. However, that is true for a lot of things and I often really enjoy rereading a book. Sometimes I only reread my favorite parts.