Why we re-read... - Page 3

Barty · 02-19-2012, 12:11 PM

I feel anxious when I reread, knowing there are sooo many other books I want/need to read.

Krystl · 02-19-2012, 12:14 PM

I guess I am with Frostschutz and others. I reread for many reasons--and yes, I do have "comfort books" for times when I just need to "turn off". I do not have a lot of money nor great libraries nearby. I watch movies repeatedly for personal and social reasons or simply convenience.

What fascinates me here are the different perspectives, thoughts and reasoning. We are all totally different and each person seems to have a completely different explanation. That just shows how utterly personal media consumption truly is (as we are talking here more than just reading), no matter what we are told by "specialists" and the media. There are just too many factors--both personal, social, cultural, financial, etc. that play a role in these decisions.

And there is no one right way. I have a hard time imagining never repeat-reading. Just as I am sure those who are so would have a hard time understanding me having read a couple of books literally 100 times. sigh.

tubemonkey · 02-19-2012, 12:19 PM

I don't have comfort books. I have comfort music.

ucfgrad93 · 02-19-2012, 12:41 PM

I have no problem re-reading books. In fact I've re-read several thick books like The Stand, Shogun, and The Lord of the Rings.

DiapDealer · 02-19-2012, 12:51 PM

I don't think re-reading books is weird... and neither do I think preferring to only read books once and move on is weird. What I do think is weird is the desire to make either of those two preference seem more "weird/normal" than the other one. Since when do preferences have to make sense?

rdfry · 02-19-2012, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I don't think re-reading books is weird... and neither do I think preferring to only read books once and move on is weird. What I do think is weird is the desire to make either of those two preference seem more "weird/normal" than the other one. Since when do preferences have to make sense?

I agree we all have quirks and dysfunctions of some type that make each of us who we are.

spindlegirl · 02-19-2012, 01:02 PM

I have "comfort food" books, but they aren't all necessarily "feelgood" stories. They just happen to be books where I liked the experience and want it again.

I like having a stock collection of old standbys.

This does not mean I won't read books I haven't heard of before. That's why the library is there. It takes a lot of love and dedication for a book to move from a library loan into a "can't live without" but occasionally a book grabs me that way.

spindlegirl · 02-19-2012, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I don't think re-reading books is weird... and neither do I think preferring to only read books once and move on is weird. What I do think is weird is the desire to make either of those two preference seem more "weird/normal" than the other one. Since when do preferences have to make sense?

Karma. Most people have elements of both in their habits anyway, substitute books with "ice cream flavour" "vacation destination" "bracelet", and some people will say "I only use this once" while others say, "I only like Rocky Road and that's my default flavor".

HarryT · 02-19-2012, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

I don't have comfort books. I have comfort music.

I definitely do - mostly fantasy. Chief among them is "The Lord of the Rings" and David Eddings's "Belgariad" series. They, for me, are most definitely "comfort reading".

Strangely perhaps, fantasy is not my main reading genre - I spend most of my time reading British detective stories - but they have distinctly limited re-reading potential (or, at least, need a gap of a few years to aid forgetting who did it).

Bilbo1967 · 02-19-2012, 02:46 PM

I do re-read, a lot.

I must have read all of the Flashman books several times each, similar for pretty much everything by Christopher Brookmyre, Iain Banks (without the 'M'), Carl Hiaasen and Bill Bryson.

Probably the books I have read most often are Bill Bryson's 'Mother Tongue'; it's a good book for dipping in and out of, so I don't always read it end to end, but I would guess I've read every word of it at least a dozen times; and Bertrand Russell's 'History of Western Philosophy', which I have read at least once a year for the last 20 years or so.

theducks · 02-19-2012, 03:24 PM

If I did not re-read or re-view,
there would be absolutely ZERO reason to buy a (e)book, music or movie

Rental or public library would be the only way to go.

But I do

There are shelves and crates of
Books,
LP records,
Open Reel and Cassette Tapes,
Laser Disks,
VHS Tapes,
DVD's,
Blu Ray
and now flash/Hard drives of EPUB and Mobi

sonofpendragon · 02-19-2012, 04:27 PM

This is not a constant for me; I will re-read some books I have read before and really liked, but I haven't and I know I will not with others, and some of these I may have ironically liked more. i can't speak for anyone else of course, but for me, I think I revisit the books which were a combination of satisfaction and were easy reads, lazy I suppose but that's me. Whereas I know I probably won't see Gandalf and Samwise and Frody again in my lifetime (sniff!), but I think that's not just a lazy mind but more it is so involved that I could eat several other moderately sized new books / books not read before, and so choose to do that.

Chi Cygni · 02-19-2012, 05:52 PM

I also revisit old friends and feel comfort in rereading. But what I have noticed is that in time I see the same book in a different way. My life experience changes and things I omitted or, rather didn't think much of while reading it long time ago now matter.

Example: I read "Kristin daughter of Lavrans" by Sigrid Undset many moons ago while being single and not being a mum. Now I can relate to the characters in a more mature way, see and understand more. About myself too.

Catlady · 02-19-2012, 06:17 PM

If you don't ever intend to revisit the book, why buy it?

Synamon · 02-19-2012, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Strangely perhaps, fantasy is not my main reading genre - I spend most of my time reading British detective stories - but they have distinctly limited re-reading potential (or, at least, need a gap of a few years to aid forgetting who did it).

Yeah, re-reading loses its appeal when the entire plot of a mystery flashes in my head as I read the first few pages. I finally forgot enough from the Agatha Christies I read as a teen that I could enjoy reading them again last year.

Quote:

Originally Posted by theducks

If I did not re-read or re-view,
there would be absolutely ZERO reason to buy a (e)book, music or movie

Rental or public library would be the only way to go.

Or cheap secondhand books. Since I don't re-read, I have never bought new books or saved any books. It's a novelty to have a book library on my computer and eReader at the moment, if the files weren't so tiny I'd be deleting the ones I've read.

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02-19-2012, 12:11 PM	#31
Barty doofus Posts: 2,520 Karma: 13036221 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kindle Voyage	I feel anxious when I reread, knowing there are sooo many other books I want/need to read.

02-19-2012, 12:14 PM	#32
Krystl Connoisseur Posts: 62 Karma: 513697 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Salzburg, Austria Device: sony prs-t1	I guess I am with Frostschutz and others. I reread for many reasons--and yes, I do have "comfort books" for times when I just need to "turn off". I do not have a lot of money nor great libraries nearby. I watch movies repeatedly for personal and social reasons or simply convenience. What fascinates me here are the different perspectives, thoughts and reasoning. We are all totally different and each person seems to have a completely different explanation. That just shows how utterly personal media consumption truly is (as we are talking here more than just reading), no matter what we are told by "specialists" and the media. There are just too many factors--both personal, social, cultural, financial, etc. that play a role in these decisions. And there is no one right way. I have a hard time imagining never repeat-reading. Just as I am sure those who are so would have a hard time understanding me having read a couple of books literally 100 times. sigh.

02-19-2012, 12:19 PM	#33
tubemonkey monkey on the fringe Posts: 45,477 Karma: 158151390 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Seattle Metro Device: Moto E6, Echo Show	I don't have comfort books. I have comfort music.

02-19-2012, 12:41 PM	#34
ucfgrad93 Wizard Posts: 2,360 Karma: 9026681 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Colorado Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2nd Gen	I have no problem re-reading books. In fact I've re-read several thick books like The Stand, Shogun, and The Lord of the Rings.

02-19-2012, 12:51 PM	#35
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 27,547 Karma: 193191846 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	I don't think re-reading books is weird... and neither do I think preferring to only read books once and move on is weird. What I do think is weird is the desire to make either of those two preference seem more "weird/normal" than the other one. Since when do preferences have to make sense?

02-19-2012, 01:02 PM	#37
spindlegirl Wizard Posts: 1,594 Karma: 21245891 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Libra h20, Paperwhite 2017, Phone & Tablet w Moonreader	I have "comfort food" books, but they aren't all necessarily "feelgood" stories. They just happen to be books where I liked the experience and want it again. I like having a stock collection of old standbys. This does not mean I won't read books I haven't heard of before. That's why the library is there. It takes a lot of love and dedication for a book to move from a library loan into a "can't live without" but occasionally a book grabs me that way.

02-19-2012, 02:46 PM	#40
Bilbo1967 Not scared! Posts: 13,424 Karma: 81011643 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Midlands, UK Device: Kindle Paperwhite 10, Huawei M5 10	I do re-read, a lot. I must have read all of the Flashman books several times each, similar for pretty much everything by Christopher Brookmyre, Iain Banks (without the 'M'), Carl Hiaasen and Bill Bryson. Probably the books I have read most often are Bill Bryson's 'Mother Tongue'; it's a good book for dipping in and out of, so I don't always read it end to end, but I would guess I've read every word of it at least a dozen times; and Bertrand Russell's 'History of Western Philosophy', which I have read at least once a year for the last 20 years or so.

02-19-2012, 03:24 PM	#41
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 29,798 Karma: 54830978 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	If I did not re-read or re-view, there would be absolutely ZERO reason to buy a (e)book, music or movie Rental or public library would be the only way to go. But I do There are shelves and crates of Books, LP records, Open Reel and Cassette Tapes, Laser Disks, VHS Tapes, DVD's, Blu Ray and now flash/Hard drives of EPUB and Mobi

02-19-2012, 04:27 PM	#42
sonofpendragon Member Retired Posts: 56 Karma: 696290 Join Date: Sep 2011 Device: Kindle for PC	This is not a constant for me; I will re-read some books I have read before and really liked, but I haven't and I know I will not with others, and some of these I may have ironically liked more. i can't speak for anyone else of course, but for me, I think I revisit the books which were a combination of satisfaction and were easy reads, lazy I suppose but that's me. Whereas I know I probably won't see Gandalf and Samwise and Frody again in my lifetime (sniff!), but I think that's not just a lazy mind but more it is so involved that I could eat several other moderately sized new books / books not read before, and so choose to do that.

02-19-2012, 05:52 PM	#43
Chi Cygni 秋子 permanently lurking Posts: 839 Karma: 6587575 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Europe Device: Oasis 3, Pocketbook Era	I also revisit old friends and feel comfort in rereading. But what I have noticed is that in time I see the same book in a different way. My life experience changes and things I omitted or, rather didn't think much of while reading it long time ago now matter. Example: I read "Kristin daughter of Lavrans" by Sigrid Undset many moons ago while being single and not being a mum. Now I can relate to the characters in a more mature way, see and understand more. About myself too.

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02-19-2012, 06:17 PM	#44
Catlady Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,345 Karma: 52398889 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: Kindle Fire, Kindle Paperwhite, AGPTek Bluetooth Clip	If you don't ever intend to revisit the book, why buy it?