I re-read all the time. The Discworld novels are my “comfort books”, and I will re-read them six or seven times. “Good Omens” I just finished for the fourth time.
I’m going through Charles Stross’s “Singularity Sky” and “Iron Sunrise” right now, mostly because I just devoured them so fast the first time and there are so many interesting ideas in those two books that I wanted to make sure I got them all.
(The Escheton, The Festival, and The Critics, Oh My!)
My project this summer is to attempt the The Baroque Cycle again. I got through the first book, bogged down in the second and never started the third.
I’ve read some books (OK, just LOTR) around 30 times all the way through, for enjoyment, by my count. I’m at around 10 or so for some Pratchetts like Small Gods and Soul Music. Ditto for Good Omens, and around that for Watchmen,* League of Extraordinary Gentlemen I & II* and V for Vendetta. I’m at around 5 rereads for most of my Banks, except Player of Games and Excession, both around the 10 rereads level. Mieville’s at the third reread stage, although not Iron Council (that’s at the second reread mark as of last week). My Stewart/Riddell Edgeworld stuff is at that level too.
No, honest, I like new books too. I just read too quickly…
This sums it up for me (except the Amazon bit – I still prefer book stores). I used to re-read all the time, but now I have twenty new books waiting and a couple hundred old books picked up in second hand shops or at garage sales. I don’t have time to re-read. Still, late at night, when I’m too tired to dig into something new, I’ll reach for Richard Stark’s The Jugger or Elmore Leonard’s Unknown Man No. 89. I’m trying to memorize both.
Someday, I’d like to do dramatic public readings from memory.
I’ve read “The World According to Garp” and “A Prayer for Owen Meaney” (both by John Irving), “Riding the Iron Roster” by Paul Theroux, and “Caravans” by James Michner about 4 times each and will probably read them again.
Oh, don’t get me wrong, I still go to Borders at least 4 times a month, but if I don’t see something I like, Amazon almost always has stuff I want. My queue is too damn big right now, so I just put all the books that I was gonna buy into a wishlist so Mom has something to buy me for XMas.
Interesting. In the time since I joined a book tracking site (about 10 months) I’ve logged nearly 100 books. Four were rereads: one childhood book (My Friend Flicka), and three adult mysteries (Martha Grimes).
I have too many books on my “want to read” pile. I would rather read something new, generally.
Kipling’s Kim is on my once a year reading list. It might not be the most PC book, but it’s a wonderful story wonderfully told.
I’ve reread LeCarre’s Karla Trilogy a few times. Every time I pick up a new detail or two which throws the rest of the story into a new light.
Every couple of years, I read Arrowsmith. I think Kozmik’s comment about the reader changing is spot on. We were assigned Arrowsmith in high school, and I hated it. I couldn’t understand why the title character couldn’t just grow a pair, pick a career and a woman and a path and go!! I thought Martin was a prima-donna jerkoff who couldn’t make up his mind about anything and created all his own problems.
Thirteen years later in my early thirties, I happened upon the book again at the library and sat down to read it, and loved it. After thirteen years of false starts and misjudgments and learning all my lessons the hard way and agonizing about my uncertain futures, I could understand and identify with Arrowsmith a lot more, and I could finally enjoy the book. (I still think Martin was a prima-donna jerkoff, though. The book should have been called Gottlieb.) I honestly don’t know why books like Arrowsmith are assigned in high school. I’ve yet to meet the high school student who could identify with Martin Arrowsmith enough to get anything out of the story, but whoever he is, I’d say his childhood was extremely short.
I very rarely read books more than once, but these are the exception. I don’t do it as often as once a year anymore, but I do read them from time to time, along with some of Montgomery’s other books. There is something about her writing that I just love. Puts me in a happy mood.
I rewatch movies, but not nearly as frequently as I reread. Part of it is convenience, since I can pick up and put down a book, and take it with me to enjoy in little bites. I think the other part is that books let me use my imagination in ways that movies don’t. I might imagine the characters different ways during different readings, but in a movie, it’s all imagined for you.
I have the complete works of Herman Hesse in 3 volumes. I used to serially read them. Non-stop. Finish the third, start the first one again. This went on for a few years. I read other books concurrently, of course.
I must have read Cien Años de Soledad at least 20 times.
These are the *exact two books * I was going to post to mention! Not only is it interesting to re-read a book and latch onto a detail that I didn’t before but, as somone else mentioned, your experience of a book changes as you change.
The other book I’ve re-read and re-experienced many times is a book of short stories, Drown, by Junot Diaz. At times, great; at times, not so deep (but still good). At times, funny as hell; other times, an undercurrent of sadness runs through. It all depends on where I am in my life at the time.
I’ve reread only a scarce few. The Hitchhiker’s Guide, and a few short stories I really love. Also, I reread the first Gunslinger book by Stephen King so I could refresh my memory for the rest of the series. It had been so long since I first read it as a kid that I couldn’t remember it.
I will re-read a favorite until it falls apart and I have to get another one. I’m on at least my second (if not third…?) copy of LOTR in paperback. I find that the books I re-read most are fantasy/sf, but I also really enjoy Jeffrey Deaver’s and Kathy Reich’s books in the forensics/forensic anthropology area.
I’m on a chronologic re-read of all the Discworld books at present, though, except I can’t find my darned copy of “Men At Arms” anywhere. Hmmm.
Oh, and I’ll also re-read classics like Shakespeare, Dickens, Austen, Dumas, and the Brontes (well, mostly Charlotte–I passionately hate Wuthering Heights.)
I have some books by RA Salavatore that I have probably read 12+ times! (since the late 80’s) And I’d also like to note these paperback books are still in pristine condition!
Most of me re-reads are due to new relases in a series. For instance I just re-read the Harry Potter series in preperation for the next book, unfortunately I miss-time how long it would take to read them andfinished the books like 3 weeks ago!
My record would be the Icewind Dale trilogy by RA Salavatore, I have read those books 12+ times.
BTW, I also enjoy watching certain movies over and over again, hence my 200+ DVD collection.
I requested it from the library as an audio book. Unfortunately I may have mis-timed it as well…I’m still third in line to get it and then of course it’ll take a week or so to get through it. I’ve got my fingers crossed that I can get it in time!
If it’s worth reading once, it’s usually worth reading again. Some of Pratchett’s works I’ve read a dozen times or more. Heinlein has been worked through better than 50 times I’m sure.
