# Reading and rereading **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 13, 2011, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-and-rereading/567444 "2011-01-13T13:07:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-and-rereading/567444/1 "2011-01-13T13:07:44Z")
I very rarely reread books – my theory is that I’m not going to live long enough to read everything I want to, so why waste time on stuff I’ve read already? – but know there are a lot of people here who do. I’m curious to know how many, though. Poll coming, hang on a minute. ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-and-rereading/567444/2 "2011-01-13T13:16:07Z")
Mainly due to my genre preferance. I prefer SF&F (emphasis on the F), and these days my collection is better than a typical library locally. That combined with the escalating price of books has me re-reading old favorites quite often. Most new books that I buy tend to be latest releases of an author I am already into. However, I intend to get a kindle for my upcoming birthday, and that should change the equation somewhat. ---
**Author:** ![iamnotbatman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/858c86/32.png) [@iamnotbatman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamnotbatman)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-and-rereading/567444/3 "2011-01-13T13:24:25Z")
There is always new, cutting-edge non-fiction to read. But I’m getting to the point where I re-read some classic novelists whose work I find so much more rewarding than the average new attempt that the risk/reward game is in their favor. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-and-rereading/567444/4 "2011-01-13T13:35:07Z")
I should reread books more, but I do pick at least one favorite to reread each year. I often discover things I never noticed. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-and-rereading/567444/5 "2011-01-13T13:46:26Z")
I have read _The Catcher in the Rye_ three times and I believe it is the only thing I’ve reread. The most recent reading of it was after having not read it for about 12 years. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-and-rereading/567444/6 "2011-01-13T13:54:30Z")
I reread a lot of my favorites because I love them and I want to enjoy them again. I don’t know why someone wouldn’t reread a book they loved - people listen to a great album more than once. It depends on the type of book, though. A suspenseful thriller definitely loses a lot once you know the butler did it, but a well-written novel can be a pleasure to read over and over. It’s like art, or music, or poetry, you don’t just enjoy it once. I mostly read new books (from the library), and I tend to read my oldies when I run out of new material. My rule about _buying_ books is actually based on rereadability. If I enjoy a book and I know I will read it again, I’ll buy it. So almost everything on my bookshelf has been read more than once. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-and-rereading/567444/7 "2011-01-13T14:21:06Z")
There are a few books I reread every couple of years: To Kill A Mockingbird, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Young Men and Fire, Beautiful Swimmers. I have reread several books by David Foster Wallace; the essays because I love the writing and enjoy feeling like I’m in contact with an amazing mind, and two novels because there is so much in them that once was just not enough. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-and-rereading/567444/8 "2011-01-13T14:25:36Z")
I love re-reading good books, but an honest look at my habits over the last few years proves I don’t do it often. I use the library a lot, and buy books very rarely, so anything on my shelves is probably something I’d be willing to read over and over. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-and-rereading/567444/9 "2011-01-13T14:28:30Z")
I reread constantly. You’re always coming upon new things you missed the first time around, and besides, a good book is like an old friend - always there for you. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-and-rereading/567444/10 "2011-01-13T14:36:52Z")
I very rarely reread, but it’s not a matter of underlying philosophy as it is an inclination. My best guess about why I don’t want to reread is that one of my favorite things in fiction is the move from ignorance to knowledge (I’m kind of a fanatic about no spoilers, and I won’t even read the blurb on a book for this reason). When I reread a book, I don’t get to take that journey, so it lacks some of the delicious appeal of a book whose contents are a mystery to me. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-and-rereading/567444/11 "2011-01-13T14:52:49Z")
I’ll reread most books I enjoy at least once. I often enjoy the second reread almost as much as the first, as it often takes a couple reads or views to lock stories into my memory properly. I’ve re-read a few favorites several times. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-and-rereading/567444/12 "2011-01-13T14:57:16Z")
I used to only re-read a handful of beloved favorites, but I appear to be reaching an age at which my memory of stuff I read 15-20 years ago is growing dim, so sometimes I’ll re-read that stuff too, just because I remember having enjoyed the book but no longer remember much of anything else about it. (God, I hope this is something most people experience and isn’t a sign of some kind of impending memory disorder. I worry about these things.) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-and-rereading/567444/13 "2011-01-13T15:04:28Z")
I love rereading books. If the story was good the first time, it will be good later. There are some books I have read dozens of times, loving every rereading. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-and-rereading/567444/14 "2011-01-13T15:11:34Z")
I’m trying to reread most of the books that are still in my possession. If I reread and enjoy it, it makes the cut. If I reread and don’t enjoy it, to Goodwill it goes. Of the four books I’m currently reading, one is a reread. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-and-rereading/567444/15 "2011-01-13T15:23:48Z")
I often reread books I’ve bought. My wife never buys books and never rereads. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-and-rereading/567444/16 "2011-01-13T15:44:59Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > I very rarely reread books – my theory is that I’m not going to live long enough to read everything I want to, so why waste time on stuff I’ve read already? Right, so I answered ‘never.’ However, I have re-read a few YA novels - to share them with my kids. And I’m realizing I have forgotten a lot about _Huck Finn_ since I read it in high school, so my ‘never’ is about to change, even for ‘grownup’ books. ---
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-and-rereading/567444/17 "2011-01-13T16:22:03Z")
I picked “Sometimes”. I have a few favorites that I’ve read many times. Occasionally I’ll re-read a book if I haven’t read it in many years. Sometimes I’ll re-read an earlier book when a sequel is released, to refresh my memory. For instance, I’m slowly (2-3 books a year) making a third pass through the Aubrey-Maturin series, because they’re just that good. I’m going to try to re-read _A Game of Thrones_ before the HBO series starts in April. I’m reading _All Creatures Great and Small_ out loud to my family now - that’s one of the ones I’ve read a dozen times. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-and-rereading/567444/18 "2011-01-13T16:24:10Z")
Re-Read a Book? Re-Watch a Movie or TV show? All a complete waste of time. I will admit to re-listening to a song. ---
**Author:** ![Gordon\_Urquhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gordon\_Urquhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_Urquhart)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-and-rereading/567444/19 "2011-01-13T16:47:58Z")
Lately, the effects of work-related ridiculousness has been mitigated by re-reading some of Wodehouse’s Jeeves and Wooster books. They’re like old friends. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-and-rereading/567444/20 "2011-01-13T16:48:08Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > I used to only re-read a handful of beloved favorites, but I appear to be reaching an age at which my memory of stuff I read 15-20 years ago is growing dim, so sometimes I’ll re-read that stuff too, just because I remember having enjoyed the book but no longer remember much of anything else about it. (God, I hope this is something most people experience and isn’t a sign of some kind of impending memory disorder. I worry about these things.) There is a definite upside here. I hope this is normal, as there are many books and movies I’d like to mostly scrub from my memory, so I can re-read/re-watch them with the same pleasure I originally got from them. > [@Lanzy](#): > > Re-Read a Book? Re-Watch a Movie or TV show? All a complete waste of time. I will admit to re-listening to a song. Many book take multiple readings to appreciate properly. However, that’s not the main reason I re-read, it’s mostly for entertainment or relaxation, whereas reading a new work is more demanding. Ideally, I’d read more original stuff (in the poll I put 50-50), but I don’t always have the energy, and picking up a new book is always something of a lottery. I can be quite fussy, and have to be in the right mood to enjoy some things. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-and-rereading/567444.md?page=2)