I don't know if you've noticed, but...I'm a rereader. Every month, I usually reread around 5-10 books, and it's something I love doing! Case in point: the fact that I've reread at least part of the Queen's Thief series every month I've been blogging (I think); the ten rereads of Ranger's Apprentice; the poor condition of all my Harry Potter books.
But. I'm not sure if this is a widespread sentiment, but I've come to the realization that some people don't reread. *insert primal scream* *cough* That's really sad! So, I thought I'd write a post today on why rereading is awesome. (And yes, it's going to be quite succinct, since I'm working 24 instead of 15 hours this week. At an agricultural job. *dies*)
I'm going to copy St. Thomas Aquinas (in my structure, at least, haha) and present the arguments against rereading before my arguments for:
1. Rereading takes a lot of time away from reading new books.
2. Along with this, rereading is less useful, because you already know what happens. (This was Tolkien's opinion--he was not a rereader. Perhaps the only point on which I disagree with him.)
Alrighty, my arguments for!
1. If there's a book you love, to bring back the happiness you had while reading that book, you don't need to try to find a book that has a similar world--you can just jump back into the world/characters/story you love. Who doesn't want to go back into Middle Earth, or Narnia, or Hogwarts, or Camp Halfblood, or, or, or? Why would you limit yourself to reading it just once?
2. It increases vocabulary (yes, I know, this is boring, but...). Being familiar with words in context helps one to learn what exactly they mean. I kid you not, I learned probably 50% of my advanced vocabulary from age 9-12 from reading Ranger's Apprentice over and over. XD
3. Reading books at different ages, you get different things out of the story. I would not understand Lord of the Rings nearly so well if I had only read it at age 11, and not again at 16, nor Till We Have Faces so well if I had only read it at 13, and not 15 and 16 as well. The nuance goes right over our heads when we're young, in most cases. Many spiritual reading books are like this, too. This works best on books with depth--perhaps not true of the Rainbow Fairies books.
4. Especially rereading books with secrets or unreliable narrators, one gets so much more out of the book the second time! Knowing all the secrets makes the moments when they're being concealed, or when the narrator is being coy, so much more satisfying, since you know exactly what is going on, and can spot exactly how clever your favorite characters are. Of course, there is also nothing like reading a book like that for the first time, either. (Examples: anything by Megan Whalen Turner, Code Name Verity, Jacob Have I Loved)
5. If you are a book buyer, why would you buy books if you're not going to read them more than once? I take this to extremes and only buy books I've read and liked already...but in any case, why would you keep books sitting on your shelf that you never intend to read more than once? Are you going to lounge around in them like a rather avaricious dragon? Sure, you could lend them to a friend, but really, it's rather selfish to buy a book you're only going to read once, y'know? Reread your books!
6. There is no comfort, especially when you're sick, like jumping into a book that you have read a million times. (I'm partial to Harry Potter, myself). There's nowhere I'd rather be when I have the flu than at Hogwarts. Fight me. But seriously: it's so nice to read a book that is not suspenseful, because you know how it ends; one where you know how it goes, so you can set it aside at any time; and one that feels familiar and safe (relatively, at least).
Responses to the arguments against:
1. Sure. It can. But, rereading doesn't have to be done all the time, or to the exclusion of reading new books. You get to decide what your percentages of rereading vs. new reading are!
2. See points 3 and 4! Sorry, Tolkien. Love you. Mean it.
Are you a rereader? Have I convinced you to be one? Do you ever buy books before you read them, or do you usually buy them after you've read them? What are your favorite books to reread when you're sick?
I'm pretty sure I reread more than I read-for-the-first-time, these days. Partially because of COVID making it hard to get to the library? And YES YES YEES, I will no longer buy a book until I'm POSITIVE I'll love it enough to reread it. Thank you for validating me.
ReplyDeleteAnd YEeeeEEEEeeeeesss, twisty books DEMAND to be read more than once. Ugh. I love those things. THIS IS WHY I NEED TO REREAD CODE NAME VERITY. Also Moon Over Manifest, for that matter. (Have you read Moon Over Manifest? I love that book so much, and it's very much a clever narrative.)
That makes sense--COVID isn't all bad! I've been getting my new-books fix from ebooks, mostly, but doing a lot of rereading too. AH, I'M GLAD SOMEONE AGREES WITH ME ON THAT! You're welcome. ;)
DeleteTHEY REALLY DO! I mean, have you really experienced a twisty book until you've read it at least twice? I think not. (I need to reread Code Name Verity, too, but I'm putting it off because it made me cry. XD) I haven't read Moon Over Manifest--what is it about?
(Oh I know. Code Name Verity had me so....broken up inside by the end, I needed some time to recuperate.) Oh man, how to describe one's favorite book. Moon Over Manifest is about two hobo children, one a young boy living during WWI and one a young girl living during the Great Depression; they're tied together because their adventures take place in the same Kansas town and the little girl hears lots of stories about the little boy. It has lots of immigrants and soda pop and trains and grief and STORIES in it. (Stories as in, the importance of stories. How they bind together communities and help people heal and all that. And provide continuity to a place's history. That kind of good stuff.)
Delete(It gave me the WORST book hangover, and I'm not quite over it yet...) Wow, that sounds really good! Going on my TBR...although it might not get read as quickly as The White Rose, because school starts this week, and..."The Odyssey" is a whole thing XD. I don't think I've ever read a book about the importance of stories, although it's definitely something I've experienced in my life--I'm looking forward to it!
DeleteYOU'RE READING THE ODYSSEY??? Eeeeeee that's one of my favorites. Enjoy that one, I can't wait to exchange opinions! er...feelings. :)
DeleteWell, strictly speaking, I'm listening to it on audio. :) It's a good one for sure, although there are a number of things I find amusing about the epic poem format (i.e. how Telemachus literally always gets up from bed "looking like an immortal god", and I'm like, "Wait, why don't I EVER get up from bed looking like an immortal god?").
DeleteI also just finished Orthodoxy, so we really do need to start an email thread!
Hear, hear! Rereading is the best. I know some people just don't enjoy it, and that's valid, but...I feel so sorry for them?? You're missing out on so much if you don't reread. The COMFORT one gets out of rereading old favorites, the new things one picks up on (even if there isn't an unreliable narrator - and those, of course, practically demand to be reread), and yes yes yes about getting new things out of books when you're older! I hated my mom saying that about some of the classics I read as a little kid - I already loved them, why do you think I'm not getting plenty out of them now?? But the ones I've reread since then...she was right. Haha.
ReplyDeleteHey, I don't buy books unless I've already read and loved them either! (Or sometimes if I really really trust the author, or if I really want to read it and can't find it at the library or anything.) It's weird to me that that's not more common. Why on earth would you spend money on something you're not going to use??? I had a friend who never reread (though she loved reading), and she could fit all the books she owned in a drawer, and she sold even those when she moved. That, to me, makes sense. Lined bookshelves, if you're not a rereader, doesn't.
And OH. MY. GOSH. You love Megan Whalen Turner???? I don't think I've ever met anybody who's as obsessed as I am with Gen&Co (and barely anyone who's even heard of them), besides the friend who made me read them to start with! I sadly have only reread The Thief (which I own) and The King of Attolia (because my sister had it from the library - I made her read them), but I've been craving a reread of The Queen of Attolia and I want to reread them ALL, actually, and I AM NOT MENTALLY PREPARED FOR RETURN OF THE THIEF.
*cough* Anyway. I loved this. You have a very cool blog, it appears! With an even cooler name. (Seriously, Bookshire? How'd you come up with that? I love it.)
(Oh...gosh. I hope you don't mind long comments, and if you do I am so sorry. xD)
DeleteFirst of all, thank you for commenting! I love long comments, so no apologizing. :) (I also didn't realize there were people who didn't like long comments, and maybe now I need to write a defense of those?)
DeleteI know, I'm SO sorry for people who don't reread! The comfort levels are unparalleled! Ooh, I really should go back and reread some of the classics--Anne of Green Gables is definitely calling out for a reread. Isn't it irritating when moms are right? XD
Ooh, twins! It's true, I do make exceptions for authors I love, on occasion (for instance, I preordered Return of the Thief. :D) as well, but overall, I think it needs to be a more common practice! Although, lined bookshelves are beautiful, so maybe we need to just make rereading more common!
YES, SHE IS THE MOST AMAZING! I haven't met anyone who loves them who we haven't made read them, either! Those books are so awesome--and definitely the best to reread--they're like a huge puzzle where every so often, a piece clicks into place in your mind, but there's always more pieces that you're not exactly sure where they go! And aaaah the characters, I love them so much. I AM NOT MENTALLY PREPARED FOR RETURN OF THE THIEF EITHER AND AM FREAKING OUT SO HARD.
*clears throat* Thank you! When I was little, I would get so absorbed in a book that I wouldn't hear my parents when they called me, so they called that phenomenon "Getting lost in bookshire", so I adopted it as my blog name! :)
Okay! It was a conditional apology, so...I guess I don't have to rescind it? :P (Well, plenty of people do like them, but from the number of people who apologize for them I'm sure your defense would not come amiss. I think I automatically assume people don't like them because, in real life, very few people want to listen to anyone but themselves for more than three sentences, and that's if the sentences are pithy. Even if the point is discussion, what people mostly mean by "I want to discuss this" is "I want to express my own opinions about this and then you agree with me," so I subconsciously assume it's the same with blogging. Which is kind of cynical of me, I guess. And not entirely true, because I really enjoy true discussions, and I know at least some other people do too.)
DeleteI suppose it's probably good it isn't as common a practice, or authors would make even less money? I don't know. But YES, lined bookshelves are beautiful. We must start a crusade to convert the world to rereaders!
YES, I KNOW. I love that puzzle piece feeling! And how even as I get a bit used to Eugenides I can see some of what's going on but I never catch all of it.
And yes, the characters! Their growth and change is so realistic? And heartbreaking. And heartwarming. And...ASKLFH;DJ *flails*
IT'S NOT EVEN THAT LONG ANYMORE TILL OCTOBER *flails more*
Aww haha I love that! Such a fun thing to call it.
Interesting...I may have to write one up one of these days! It's true, one of the downfalls of our modern era is the short attention span, and another is the lack of appreciation for a good debate (i.e. one where both people talk)! Please feel free to talk and debate as much as you want on here. :)
DeleteThat's true...although then maybe libraries would buy more copies? And having people love their books a lot would really be the best thing for authors? But yes, a crusade may be necessary!
AH YES! And I know, the characters feel like REAL PEOPLE, and I really just want to hang out with them? Now? If not sooner? AND I CAN'T DEAL WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF ANYTHING HAPPENING TO THEM. Just. Can't. WHY IS OCTOBER SO CLOSE NOW. And yet so far? *flails with you*
I definitely like rereading, though I don't make nearly enough time for it! But over the past few years, I've made rereading favorite series a priority. I mean, what's the point of owning all these lovely books if I'm not going to enjoy them more than once?
ReplyDeleteI'm currently rereading The Series of Unfortunate Events. I'm considering starting up Percy Jackson at some point and I know I want to reread LotR in the very near future (possibly September, as it's a major Tolkien month?).
But yes, rereading is an awesome thing to do and it's definitely something I'm trying to get better at!
It can be tricky to make time for it, for sure! It's lovely that you make a habit of it! I tend to blow through a bunch of new books, get a book hangover, and then go back to some of my old favorites. XD Perhaps not the healthiest habit. (This doesn't happen all the time, just...a lot of the time).
DeleteI *coughcough* am still planning on reading Series of Unfortunate Events soon, but oh, Percy Jackson is a lot of fun (maybe I should reread those, now I think of it, especially since I'm in the middle of "The Odyssey", and have a feeling that I would get the references better) and LotR is SO FUN in a reread.
I'm a huge rereader, and, because of COVID, I've been doing even more rereads.
ReplyDeleteI also almost never buy a book unless I've already read it.
Of course I'll always love reading new books, but I always come back to my favorites.
Yay, another rereader! Yes, COVID has definitely forced me (in a good way!) to do more rereading as well.
DeleteMe too!
Yes, new books are great, but old ones feel like home. :)
Mwahaha I love the structure of this. I mean, I hate philosophy but this almost seems like a parody? I mean, because I took that stinking class I at least understand how clever this post is. ;)
ReplyDeleteYou're not wrong about the vocabulary. If I'm reading a book for the first time and come across a word I don't know... I don't really care. I'm just trying to figure out the story so I'm not going to stop to figure out what that means. BUT if I already know the story I'm much more likely to be interested in the small details like that.
Totally I agree with 5! I always intended to read my books again, but just hope that will magically happen and don't put any work in myself...
"There's nowhere I'd rather be when I have the flu than at Hogwarts." LOVE THIS.
Haha, thank you! It is a bit of a parody...although it was meant to take after Thomas Aquinas, it's really not up to par with him AND not about theology, which I think makes it a parody. XD Congrats on ferreting out my cleverness. ;)
DeleteIt is such a good perk! And also, reading the context of a word over and over again makes it much easier to figure out what a word means even if you don't look it up.
It's definitely hard! I honestly am having a hard time with 5, just because I am finding SO many new books to read! But I think I'm catching up to my TBR somehow? For the first time in 3 years? So more rereading in the 5 vein is happening, which makes me happy.
IT'S SO TRUE THOUGH, RIGHT?