Are you a rereader? The case for re-reading books.
I’ve been blog hopping a lot lately and have come across a discussion topic that I have mixed feelings about: rereading books. Specifically, fiction. As a child and a teen, I re-read books all the time: Willie Wonka, Judy Blume, How to Eat Fried Worms, Nancy Drew, Free to Be You and Me, Beverly Cleary, and countless others. I reread books for two reasons that I can remember: one, because I ran out of books to read and two, because they were old friends and comforting. My 13 yr old daughter also rereads books, but I’m not sure if it’s for the same reasons.
As an adult, I’ve tried rereading two books and I was completely disheartened by the experience. I tried to reread Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott and Franny and Zooey, by JD Salinger. These stories were not as enchanting as I remember them being, which broke my heart. To be sure, I have revisited old movies ( any Shirley Temple, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, and Harvey) and old toys (Slinky and Candyland) and have enjoyed them. But the magic was missing from my former literary best friends.
My new friend Howard at Howard Sherman, Implementor, http://howardsherman.net/, during the Book Blogger Hop, engaged me in a discussion of rereading books. His comments to me personally were that rereading an old book is like visiting an old friend. I will agree that that was what my intentions were, however, the visit was un-enjoyable.
So…I am wondering if anyone else is a re-reader and what their experiences are? Loved it? Hated it? Ambivalent?
Tell me!
A book is good company.
It is full of conversation without loquacity.
It comes to your longing with full instruction,
but pursues you never.
~ Henry Ward Beecher ~