Art Scott and Steve Stilwell have reread the Nero Wolfe series over 50 times! I am not a rereader. There are just too many books I haven’t read. But Patricia Meyer Spacks makes a strong case for rereading in this enlightening book. Spacks starts out writing about the books of her youth: Alice in Wonderland and the Narnia series. She moves on to books that do not fare well with rereading: Lucky Jim and Catcher in the Rye. Spacks favorite books to reread are Jane Austen’s novels of manners. Emma and Pride and Prejudice are her favorites. As Spacks points out, the book doesn’t change, but the reader does. After reading Spacks’ eloquent defense of rereading, I’m more open to the possibility of rereading some of my favorite books. After all, I reread Slayground by “Richard Stark” for the recent Forgotten Books celebration of Donald E. Westlake. GRADE: B+
I’ve always held firmly to the maxim that you can never read the same book twice because you’re always a different person when you re-read. For this very reason, I tend not to re-visit books, especially ones that I loved in my younger days. I have a feeling that many would not hold up well.
I held the same attitude, Deb. But Patricia Meyer Spacks makes a good argument for rereading. In the past, I probably reread 6 or 7 books a year. Now, I might up that figure to 10-12.
George, if you never re-read, what books do you keep on your bookshelf?
and why?
The books I’ve read are stored in my massive basement, Dan. They await transfer to SUNY at Buffalo which houses the Kelley Collection.
I almost never reread except unintentionally. I have reread Austen a bit since I read them as a teenager and thought I might have missed a lot. I have reread Fitzgerald. But that’s about it. I only get through a book a week so that’s not enough time to revisit.
My natural inclination is to read a new book, Patti. But ON REREADING makes a pretty strong case for occasionally rereading. I admit it: this book is persuasive.
I’m with you, George. I rarely reread. Some things I have reread: The Hound of the Baskervilles, Time and Again (Jack Finney), a couple of Agatha Christies, The Stand (not strictly a reread as I read the “uncut” version second), The Sun Also Rises and The Nick Adams Stories.
There are just too many books out there that I want to read but haven’t as yet to reread much. Lately, however, I have been picking up some old favorites for future rereading, like Shirley Jackson’s Life Among the Savages.
My approach is similar to yours, Jeff. I’ll reread some old favorites, but mostly read new stuff. I could never reread a Christie. Once I know whodunnit, rereading Christie become redundant.
I think when I was much younger I read AND THEN THERE WERE NONE and then reread it when I was reading all of her other books.
I reread Christie’s classic, WHO KILLED ROGER ACKROYD?, just to see how Christie set up her clues and red herrings, Jeff. But knowing who the murderer was made the exercise tedious.
I like to reread, and probably a quarter of the books I read are second or even third goes. I only read about 70 books a year, so that’s only 15-20 rereads, depending on the year. What do I reread? Mostly mysteries, but also poetry collections and some fantasy. I reread The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings every 8 years or so, have reread a lot of the Christie books, most recently The ABC Murders, started rereading the John D. Macdonald Travis McGee books (and will read another for the FFB in April). I also reread things like A Walk in the Woods, some Hemingway, Steinbeck, Thornton Wilder, Trollope, Austin, Chandler.
George, if memory serves, you reread all of Shakespeare’s plays a couple of years ago, didn’t you?
Yes, I read all of Shakespeare’s plays, Rick. Some I’d read in high school (ROMEO & JULIET, JULIUS CAESAR, AS YOU LIKE IT, MACBETH, etc.) and others in college (HAMLET, KING LEAR, OTHELLO, etc.). But there were plenty of Shakespeare’s plays I hadn’t read. Some were fluff like THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR, but one turned out to be my favorite Shakespearean play:
TROILUS AND CRESSIDA.
Oh, and of course I reread the Sherlock Holmes canon fairly often.
I sat down and read the entire Sherlock Holmes canon a decade or so ago, Rick. I’m sure I’ll find time in the next few years to reread the whole thing again.
I’ve also read some – but not all – of the Holmes stories two or more times, plus several (maybe 5-10) of Shakespeare’s plays.
To me, denying yourself the pleasure of rereading is like refusing to re-order a favorite dish – “No creme brulee for dessert, sorry, , I ate one once in 1983.” Or not allowing yourself to hear a great piece of music more than once – “No Vaughan Williams 5th Symphony for me, heard it already.”
Ah, but what about the allure of the New and Better, Art?
Art is right on target with his comment!
George,
So you have no bookshelves? Everything you’re read & enjoyed is just boxed up?
If you did that to a dog, they’d throw you in jail!
Actually, I have acres of bookshelves of books waiting to be read, Dan. But once I read a book, it goes into a bin until SUNY at Buffalo sends out the 18-wheeler to pick them up.
Okay, let’s get this straight; the ONLY books on your shelve are TBR ??
Really?
Pretty much, Dan. The exceptions would be the LIBRARY OF AMERICA volumes (although I haven’t read all of those yet, maybe half) and signed copies. Books keep flowing in and my wife insists that I make regular donations to the Kelley Collection at SUNY at Buffalo or we would drown in books.
Okay, I’m genuinely impressed! You actually live what you say, and my hat is off to you!
It’s a matter of survival, Dan. And arithmetic. In an average week, about 12 books arrive at the Kelley manse. I usually read about five books a week so I’m always falling behind. My wife would like a zero-sum arrangement where for each book that comes in, one book goes to SUNY at Buffalo, but I’m not that strict.
But JEEZE! I couldn’t live that way!
I know, Dan. It’s tough.