Do you re-read books?

[DocHamm]

My personal preferance is to "read on", meaning new material. However, I have a select few that I enjoy so much, I probably re-read them about once a year. I suspect we all have a handful of favorites we'd enjoy re-reading.

Imagine only being able to have one book, as in the story Fahrenheit 451, which would you choose? I suspect it would be on the re-read list.

[mdbenoit]

I only keep favorites in my library, whether it's e or p, so I'll often re-read one when I'm not in the mood for something new. There's something to say to meet with beloved characters again, and relive their adventures.

I'm not a huge non-fiction fan, so there's only a handful of those I've re-read in my life.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by mdbenoit

I only keep favorites in my library, whether it's e or p, so I'll often re-read one when I'm not in the mood for something new. There's something to say to meet with beloved characters again, and relive their adventures.

I think one way to define great literature, is that you can keep on getting more and more out of it each time you re-read it.

Goodness knows how many times I must have re-read Dickens' novels, but each time I re-read them, I notice new details which I missed before. That's what makes Dickens a great author.

[mdbenoit]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I think one way to define great literature, is that you can keep on getting more and more out of it each time you re-read it.

You're absolutely right, but I must confess that not all the books I reread I classics. Some are SF, some are suspense, some are even romantic suspense. Stephen R. Donaldson's The mirror of her Dreams and A Man Rides Through, for instance, are favourites, and so is Heinlein's Time Enough for Love.

For those who love SF, Fictionwise.com is offering as free downloads (for the most part) the 2007 Aurora Awards nominees. It's a good way to get to know new authors.

[tompe]

I re-read a lot of books just because they give me exactly the same thing as all other times I have read the book. So I do not really think that you need to defend your re-reading by saying that you only re-read books that gives you more the second time you read it.

[bbusybookworm]

I tend to reread quiet a few of my books, and in case of favourites, reread them so often have gone through multiple copies.

While I do like to read new books, I like to go back to older books and reread them, as it is often the case that the first time through, I'll skim read through the book to find what happens. Then immediately afterwords, start rereading it to get all the nuances and touches I missed on the way through.

Also, sometimes when i just want to relax completely, it's nice to curl up with an old favourite and just reread my favourite parts, it's like a conversation with an old friend :-).

And as for keeping track of what book I already own, My sympathy's with earlier posters.
With My books spread over 4 countries (India, Lebanon, Egypt, UK), Its hard to remember which books I have and where they actually are

In Fact I've often bought additional copies of my favourites just so I can have them where ever I am :

[crc]

I have reread most of the books in my library several times. For me, they are just as entertaining as they were when I first read them. I also keep the majority of my library on my device at all times, so I always have something to read.

[BlackVoid]

I reread Douglas Adams and Kurt Vonnegut and a very few select others.

[Evelyn Sinclair]

Just curious, do you also like to see movies more than once?

Are you likelier to re-watch a favorite movie or re-read a favorite book? I used to think of movies as sometihng you saw once and that was it, probably because you used to go to the theater and pay admission, so you probably wanted to see the latest new thing instead of something you'd seen already. But now my movie-collector friend tells me he collect classic movies because he will watch them multiple times. I'm beginning to see his point.

There is one big difference though -- the part where you go back to your favorite scenes in the book. Oh wait -- now with DVDs you can do that too.

So if this isn't going off topic -- how do books and movies compare for revisiting?

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by Evelyn Sinclair

So if this isn't going off topic -- how do books and movies compare for revisiting?

Personally I think there is quite a difference due to the time commitment involved. Watching a movie is generally a two hour or so commitment, whereas a book is 10, 14, 20 hours or more.

Also, alot of times I will re-watch a movie that I really enjoy with someone who hasn't watch it yet, so I can share the experience with them, and perhaps discuss it during/after the movie.

But, for the most part I have the same feeling... there are so many movies out there that I would rather watch one I haven't seen, than rewatch one that I have seen.

BOb

[zelda_pinwheel]

there are some films i watch over and over, and never get tired of. sometimes i'm just in the mood to reexperience a film that was particularly brilliant, for one reason or another. i think it's rather similar to re-reading books you love, except that it takes less time of course.

Wings of Desire by Wim Wenders was the first dvd i ever bought, before i even had a dvd player. Jour de fête and Mon Oncle by Jacques Tati ; the man was some kind of comedy savant. The Thin Man ; i've watched that movie so many times i know whole sections of the dialogue by heart. i bought the boxed set for my birthday a few years ago, despite the fact that the rest of the series goes progressively downhill (The Thin Man Goes Home is a travesty). Les Tontons Flingueurs ; Michel Audiard was a GENIUS. The Awful Truth ; the dancing scene makes me roll on the floor laughing just thinking about it. The Pink Panther. Peter Sellers : need i say more ? (i have that boxed set too.) Down by Law ; i know most of that one by heart too. Orphée by Cocteau (my hero). La Coupe, because it's visually stunning, and also really funny and sweet (and i don't even *like* football). Buffalo '66 ("we're spanning time..."). Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, by our own Michel Gondry. The Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain, because sometimes it's nice to beleive in a happy ending... i could go on but you get the idea...

[vivaldirules]

Great list, ZP. I love some of those. The ones I don't recognize, I now want to see. I'm curious, how did The Science of Sleep do in France (or did it?)? I loved it, have seen it three times, and will again. I must have been one of about, oh, 23 people in the U.S. who saw it although I don't know why since it was very U.S. (unutterably silly). Great fun (Monty Python), great stories (Casablanca), great acting (A Few Good Men), great heart-tugging emotions (Black Beauty , the 1990's film), great warmth and humor (All Creatures Great and Small) will bring me back repeatedly whether it's a book, film, television series, place to visit, friend, whatever. Now if I can just get out of here. Hard to type in the dark.

[zelda_pinwheel]

you have a pretty good list yourself. i think by now it must be clear to everyone that i adore Monty Python (although, caution, do NOT choose "The Holy Grail" as your convalescence movie when you have just had 3 wisdom teeth extracted ; trust me, that is no time to laugh). Casablanca is also brilliant, which brings me to The Big Sleep (Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall ; greater class never existed. i reread Raymond Chandler as well). i haven't seen the others you mention.

The Science of Sleep and Be Kind Rewind... i saw the first with a friend, and we both loved it. i saw the second one alone and liked it quite a lot (i love Mos Def). but i think both of them were weaker than Eternal sunshine. here, Gondry is overall very loved, partly because before starting to work in cinema he made a lot of really brilliant music clips (Human Behavior for Björk, kylie minogue, that Daft Punk song where each instrument is represented by one group of dancers...) and really inventive television ads ; one of the ones he's most known for was a series of ads for Air France, the concept was so simple it was pure genius. but i think a lot of people might feel that he is best when he can take one beautiful genious concept and put it into a short unadulterated form. i will keep watching every film he makes but to be honest i think that might be true... sometimes you can go too far with a great idea.

EDIT : how could i forget sugar water !! (how many times have i used the word "genius" so far ? do you think i can fit it in one more time ?) actually i don't think he made a single bad video or short film.

EDIT 2 : oh oh and !!! the brilliant white stripes videos !!!

EDIT 3 : you know what, just get the dvd.

i heard that outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend ; inside a dog it's too dark to read. i guess it's even more true when you're talking about a dog inside a squid.

[astra]

zelda_pinwheel & vivaldirules

Have not seen any of the movies from the three previous posts

[montsnmags]

Originally Posted by astra

zelda_pinwheel & vivaldirules

Have not seen any of the movies from the three previous posts

Astra, the English/World-release ofThe Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain is simply known as Amélie.

It is, in very simple terms, a love story with a happy ending. Do not be put off.

It is also magnificently lovely, quirky, and eye-drowningly attractive movie (not the least because Audrey Tautou is so heart-tremblingly beautiful). I own it on DVD and highly recommend it. Watch it with your partner; trust me on this.

Cheers,
Marc