Do you re-read books?
By drknlvly6781
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
United States
April 14, 2009 8:55am CST
I love reading. I have been reading ever since I was I was two years old (albeit it was little words like "it" and "is" lol) I learn many things just by reading, and get great entertainment from it as well, so much that no book is ever old to me, no matter how many times I read it. I will read a book from beginning to end, set it down for a few months; then, if the mood strikes me, I may pick it up and read it again.
This brings me to my question in this discussion. How many of you re-read books? My grandma looks at me crazy when she sees me reading a book that I've read before. She asks "Haven't you read that already?" I reply "Yes, and I'm reading it again!" She feels that once is enough. But for me, its like rewatching a good movie or favorite episode of a television show. I get so lost in the characters and the storyline that no matter how many times I've read it before, its a new experience for me every time. Plus, most times I find things that I have missed before in the story.
So Mylot, do you re-read books? Or do you feel that a book is no good once you've read it?
22 people like this
103 responses
@makingpots (11915)
• United States
14 Apr 09
Hi, drknlvly.
I can see the benefit in re-reading a book. It seems to me that you will be a different person each time you read it and bound to get something different out of it each time.
But my problem with re-reading books is that there are just sooooo many that I want to read. I don't feel I can possibly get to them all before I die, so it frustrates me to think of using my reading time to read something I've already read. I have matured a lot with this frustration in the last several years. I have actually read a book or two that I finished and have thought, 'I bet I read that again someday'.
3 people like this
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
16 Apr 09
Don't feel bad. I don't make it a priority to re-read each and every book that I have read. You just keep reading what you like, and plugging forward. Maybe you will find yourself one day with no more books to read, or even at a point where you've read all the books in your possession and can't get another on your list for a little while. That would be the perfect time to re-read a book that you already have.
@sammyspam (374)
• Australia
14 Apr 09
Even if i fall in love with a book, I never re-read it. I have read countless books but I am yet to ever read one twice. I have tried several times to re-read my favourite books but I just find i cant get into them like i did the first time, its a real shame.
Its the same with magazines, articles and newspapers. Once I have read something i seldom read it again.
2 people like this
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
14 Apr 09
I am sorry you feel you cannot get into a book again as you once have the first time you read it. What do you think is blocking you from enjoying it? Do you not like the fact that you already have an understanding of the storyline? I've always wondered what people who don't re-read books motives are. I've just never understood it, so I hope you don't mind me asking.
However, I do agree with you about magazines, articles and newspapers. There are new ones coming out everyday, so I don't see the need to re-read these types of publications. Once I read these, I am done and ready for the next one.
1 person likes this
@sammyspam (374)
• Australia
14 Apr 09
I dont mind you asking at all, its a very interesting discussion you have started!
For me the main reason i keep reading a book is to find out the ending, I love every twist, every turn, every word even. I love connecting with the characters and reading them as they develop relationships between eachother. This is exactly why books just dont entertain me the second time around, I know it all, it just feels stale and repetitive. Even books I read years ago, I find i cant even get into when I've forgotten half the story anyway!
Movies are the same for me, I rarely watch a movie more then two or three times. Usually only once.
2 people like this
@Myrrdin (3599)
• Canada
14 Apr 09
Ah but the ending is just one minor part of the book, the journey is the thing. Re-reading books can give you new insights into characters and you might find that characters you previously hated had redeeming qualities you missed the first time around. Or you might notice an event that seemed insignificant on the first reading makes more sense and is much more important now that you know the ending.
2 people like this
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
16 Apr 09
When i still had the time... i would read and re read books... i don't know how many time i read Silas Marner or the Harry Potter series... but i think everytime i read a book again... i find some detail that i missed the previos time i read it...
@lordwarwizard (35747)
• Singapore
20 Apr 09
Some books are so well-written that they are always worth re-reading! 
1 person likes this
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
16 Apr 09
I try to, especially anything I purchase from Eric Jerome Dickey. The problem is, I loan my books out to family, and then they lose them, or just never bring them back *eyerolls* Maybe one day I will learn not to loan out my books lol.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
15 Apr 09
There are some books that I re-read. I am a writer myself and I like to re-read books that are especially well-written. If I really like the story and I also tend to read it more than once. Someone once said: "A book not worth reading twice is not worth reading once" and I agree with that sentence. Some books I only read once and then I forget all about them because they weren't worth remembering or reading again. To me a good book is a book that I want to read again. There are a few books that I have read more than twice, but I usually read books only once or twice.
Sometimes I get disappointed when I read books for the second time. There was one book that I had been looking for ages. I didn't remember the author or the title, so it was really difficult to find it again. But one day I found the book by coincidence and I was extremly excited. I re-read it but the old "magic" was gone and the story didn't have the same effect on me as it did the first time I read it. I still think that it is a pretty good book, it is just nothing that special.
2 people like this
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
16 Apr 09
Whoever said that has to be a very intelligent individual. That statement is so true.
I haven't ran into any books that have disappointed me in that manner. But maybe it was because of your mindset at the time you first read it, and when you read it again. You speak as though it had been years since you first read the book. Maybe you weren't as mature then as you were when you found the book again, so some of the sentiment was lost on you.
@carcher777 (141)
• United States
15 Apr 09
I definitely re-read books. The more I like a book, the more times I am likely to re-read it. My favorite book of all time, Firestarter by Stephen King, has passed through my hands some twenty-plus times.
When I re-read a book, I often pick up on details that I missed on previous readings. Sometimes I will pick up on different scenes because I am in a different mood or state of mind. Often I will understand passages that were obscure before because I have learned something new about that particular topic. In every reading I benefit.
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
16 Apr 09
That is one that I haven't read by Stephen King, although I have heard of it. My favorite by him is "The DreamCatcher". I had watched the movie "It" years and years ago (which reminds me, I need to read that book lol), but when I picked up The Dreamcatcher, all I knew was that it was by the same author. I was very pleasantly surprised when I got into the book, and found it was a prelude to that movie and book.
But yes, I feel there is always something new that you can find out by re-reading a book.
@danishcanadian (28955)
• Canada
14 Apr 09
I re-read books all the time. I usually only buy books that really really strike me as interest, and I'm almost always right about the book being interesting. I don't remember the last time I bought a book that wasn't interesting. I just re-read a book the other day, as a matter of fact. I was in the mood to read it again, so I did.
2 people like this
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
16 Apr 09
I always go either with books that I have heard about, or that I know the author. That has kept me pretty safe from crappy books lol. There are some books that just bear re-reading, especially Eric Jerome Dickey. Its fun to read his books because 1: he has a group of characters that all seem to be indirectly connected from book to book, so its fun to re-read and see who knows who. 2: he writes in a style that flits from person to person, sub-storyline to sub-storyline. Even though this makes all of his stories very interesting, you often miss subtle nuances of his story. So whenever I do get an Eric Jerome Dickey novel, I read it, wait for about a month or two, then re-read it for what I missed the first time.
@patgalca (18394)
• Orangeville, Ontario
14 Apr 09
No, I have never re-read a book. I have way too many books and way too little time to spend re-reading a book I have already read. I want to read so many books. There are so many of them out there... so many of them in my house!
I find re-reading a book a waste of time. Call me hypocritical if you like, but I don't have a problem watching programs or movies again that I have already seen. I can watch the CSIs and L&Os over and over again, usually because I forget how it ended but also because I love the characters.
I find re-reading a book a waste of time. Call me hypocritical if you like, but I don't have a problem watching programs or movies again that I have already seen. I can watch the CSIs and L&Os over and over again, usually because I forget how it ended but also because I love the characters.2 people like this
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
16 Apr 09
Don't feel bad, Pat, re-reading isn't for everyone. For me, I get the same excitement from re-reading a book as you do watching repeats of CSI and Law and Order. (which I do too lol) When I read, I have such a vivid imagination that its just like watching a movie in my head. So re-reading is just as entertaining as reading a story for the first time, for me anyway.
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
14 Apr 09
I re=read books. I happen to love Jane Austin and Charles Dickens as well as Agatha Christie and will go back and read one of the books written by those authors. I think if the writer is good and the book is a classic, then you will read it again and again. If the book is crap, then once is enough. And usually if the book is good, you do not know what is going on the first time, you have to read it several times before you can really imagine yourself in that period.
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
16 Apr 09
Haven't read Jane Austin, and haven't read any Charles Dickens since High School. I have heard of Agatha Christie though, and I think I will add her to my author's list.
But you are so right Suspense. If the book is crappy the first time, it doesn't bear re-reading. I guess I am a pretty good judge of books though, I haven't come across one that is crappy by my standard.
I have a vivid imagination, so it isn't hard for me to picture myself in different eras and times. But at the same time, I don't read much that is set in any year before like 1970. I guess if I were reading something set in a period earlier than that, it would take me a few more reads to actually get certain points, and place myself in the characters' shoes.
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
14 Apr 09
You hit it right on the head..my book collection is of stories I've read many times before,and am planning to do so again in the future! A book is portable,you don't need any special equipment to read it with,you can pick it up again after a break and continue where you left off...a perfect form of entertainment! And Unlike DVD Players and Handheld games consoles,You can read almost anywhere and not disturb those around You!
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
16 Apr 09
Right! Plus you don't need batteries and you don't have to plug it in. Not only is it convenient, its economical and green!!! lol.
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
14 Apr 09
Hi drknlvly! Nice picture! Yes! I will sometimes re-read a book!
But, not right away! It would have to be something that I read
along time ago and don't really remember it too well! I also
am not one for watching movies again right away either! Once is
enough from me unless a good enough time passes so that I can
either watch the movie again or re-read the book! But, when it
is something like a "classic" then that is different! I can
watch a classic movie or read a classic book/novel over and over
again! I guess it all depends! I read alot of mysteries so you
definitely can re-read them and see what you didn't see the
first time around!
2 people like this
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
16 Apr 09
Thank you! I figured it was time lol.
I never re-read books right away. Its like watching the same episode of your favorite show twice in a row. What is the point? I always wait at least a good two or three months before I even consider reading a book for fun again.
@lala501 (1532)
• United States
14 Apr 09
I would have to say I don't re-read any books. The reason is because I usually read mystery books because they are my favorite genre of books, and you are always are supposed to find out the criminal or the who did it person at the end, and if you read the book all over again then you already know who the person is who did it so it takes all the fun out of reading the book.
2 people like this
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
16 Apr 09
Consider this. Even though you read mystery novels to find out "whodunit", and in re-reading you already know who did; you can find clues that the author put in the reading to lead you to the criminal. You may even find yourself slapping your forehead because of things you missed early on.
@txgrl21 (819)
• United States
14 Apr 09
Definately! I will read a good book over and over again and it's still like the first time. It always feels like im in the book living the moment with all of the wonderful characters instead of on my living room couch with my boring life. Well it's not that it's boring its just that books make everything seem that way.
2 people like this
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
16 Apr 09
If you continue to measure your life to the lives of the people in books and on TV, it will always seem to be boring in comparison. lol
Yes, its that way for me too. Everytime I choose to re-read a book, there are things that I have forgotten about it, and somethings that I didn't even see the first time. Its like having a new book without spending the money lol!
@edwards76 (8)
• United States
14 Apr 09
I love to read. Sometimes I read a book that held me captive throughout the whole thing. I don't want to put it down. When I get to the end I'm a little sad because I know I won't read it again. I can't. Once I read something I just don't forget. I mean I read the first paragraph and it all comes flooding back. I'm not one to skip to the end to see what is going to happen, I like to be surprised. That's probably why I like suspense novels! To me if I know what will happen every step of the way that book has lost its appeal. I envy those who can re-read a book.
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
16 Apr 09
I have had books to do me like that as well. The one that really comes to mind is Disappearing Acts by Terry McMillan (the same author that wrote Waiting to Exhale). I started this book one evening, thinking that I would just read until I go to sleep. Turns out the book was so good that I couldn't put it down! I finished that book in the wee hours of the morning, because I couldn't sleep for wondering what would happen next! I love books that can grab my attention and not let go.
@Myrrdin (3599)
• Canada
14 Apr 09
There are several books I have read more than once. The more I like a book the more I am apt to re-read it. The Lord of The Rings trilogy and The Hobbit I have read countless times. Each time I read a book I pick up some small detail I missed on previous reads, or at least a new point of view to certain events or people in the book.
2 people like this
@dodo19 (47336)
• Beaconsfield, Quebec
14 Apr 09
Yes, there are times, when I re-read books that I have. I haven't done this is a while, as I got so many books, during Christmas, that I haven't had a chance to read yet. Mainly due to school. But now that summer vacation is coming, I'll be able to read some of these books, and then maybe be able to re-read some of them. I'm not sure if I'll get the chance to, simply because of the number of books that I've gotten. But I'm hoping to.
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
14 Apr 09
You sound like me! I had to go on a buying freeze as far as books were concerned at one time, simply because I was piling books on top of books, and didn't have th time to read them the first time, let alone re-read! Luckily, I am a fast reader, so once I commit to a book, it never takes me long to finish. Soon, I will be able to buy books once again lol!
1 person likes this
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
16 Apr 09
I don't take as long to re-read my books, although I do take some time before I re-read it. Usually I'm looking for something else, and a book that I've read in the past pops up.
I don't think it would be as enjoyable to re-read a story if I started it soon after I finished it the first time. I mean, who watches a movie again as soon as you've finished it?
@acematthews71 (1084)
• India
14 Apr 09
Yes , i too like re-reading books sometimes. Especially, comic books as i like reading comics & story stuff. The best part of re-reading is that sometimes while reading the first time if u have missed some part or failed to understand it, you can have better view at the second time.
2 people like this
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
16 Apr 09
That is true ace, sometimes there are situations that aren't clear the first time through, but there is more information on it later in the book. Unfortunately, you may have forgotten the situation that the information pertains to by the time you get the subsequent informaition. When you re-read a book, you can take that later information you got the first time through, and apply it to the situation that it pertained to in the first place, therefore getting a deeper understanding of the situation itself.
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
16 Apr 09
Yes, you are correct, not every book bears re-reading. Some don't have the complex storylines that need to be re-read in order to get the point the author is trying to convey. However, I don't read short stories too often. Most of the books that I read for pure enjoyment are novels and novellas, lengthy type reading. So, I also end up re-reading most of my books just for the simple fact of finding out what I missed the first time.
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
16 Apr 09
Of course. New material always outranks books that I've read. If I get a new book, I usually finish it within a week or two of purchasing it.
The thing is, I don't always have money to purchase new books unfortunately. And I feel its a waste if I were to purchase a book, then only read it once.
