I've started re-reading "Eclipse." Not because it is the best book known to man or because I loved it so much the first time that I must return to its pages again. It's simply because I injected the entire "Twilight" series like a heroin addict, so now I can't remember what happens and this vexes me, especially with the movie coming out so soon.As I was thumbing through the first few chapters, it occurred to me that I very rarely go back and re-read my books.
In fact I can only remember three books I've read more than once. Two of them are Jack Kerouac novels: "Big Sur" and "On the Road." The third one is a 1970s paperback that belonged to my mom called "Confessions of a Hitch-hiker." I think I've read "Confessions" at least five times.The common thread in these three books is escape via travel, which is why I keep coming back, I think. In a way they are
familiar unfamiliar road trips that I can immerse myself in, knowing fully well what happens at the end but knowing that I'll always enjoy the journey along the way.Other books I hesitate to return to. I worry they will not be as good as I remember. I think some are too much work, too little fun. Whatever the reason, something keeps me from returning to them.
What about you? Do you re-read your favorite books, and if so which ones and why? Do you think there are some books that need more than one read to be fully appreciated? Which ones?
interesting post. :) i do tend to re-read my favorites. i guess i read a lot, and i don't remember things too clearly, so it's not so redundant for me to re-read them.
ReplyDeleteps - i love books about travel too. if you're looking for something funny on the subject, might i recommend "stranger in a strange land" by bill bryson? :P
I did the same as you with Twilight and with most good books/fast reads, I completely inhale them. Which usually means I need to reread them to remember them. But specifically I will reread before movies come out because I want to remember the book not the movie. Very rarely are the characters as good in a movie as they were in my mind.
ReplyDelete