Why I Reread

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When I was younger, I was rather shocked to discover that not everyone rereads books. *gasp* Before then I had always assumed that people, like me, reread as a matter of course. In my mind there really wasn’t much point in reading a book the first time if I wasn’t planning to read it again and again. 

I’ve been thinking about this a lot for the past few months as I’ve been taking the time to evaluate what I want my reading life to look like. There are so many books out there, it would be impossible to read them all—even once—before dying of old age. (Unless you’re Cait. Apparently she’s immortal now, and I would love to know how she worked that one out because it would totally solve the majority of my bookish problems.) All that to say, I understand those who would rather experience as many new stories as possible without spending valuable time on rereading. Not everyone is wired to think and process in the same way and, for some people, one encounter with any given novel is sufficient for them. 

So I’m not here to make the case for why you’re doing it wrong if you don’t reread. Your reading life is your personal territory, and I don’t want to infringe on it. But I would like to explain why I, personally, see great value in rereading. And who knows, you might even find some reasons that appeal to you and cause you to rethink your decision. Even if you never do reread, though, I promise I’ll still be your friend. 

Probably. 

Anyway, here goes: 

Rereading helps your memory. Now, this is by no means a scientific fact; I’m only speaking from personal experience here. But I’ve found that, when I go through long stretches where I only read new books, both my short term and long term memory suffer significantly. While I’m not known for having an elephant’s memory, I usually have good recall, so when I noticed this pattern I went on a rereading binge as an experiment of sorts. Sure enough, as I re-experienced familiar stories, old thoughts and recollections resurfaced and my memory banks became more accessible. (Yes, I realize I’m not a computer—no, I won’t stop talking like one.) Conclusion: It doesn’t hurt to return to familiar bookish stomping grounds every now and then before resuming your exploration of unchartered territories. 

Rereading helps rekindle your love of books. Sometimes I go through stretches where I just don’t feel like reading. I went through a few bouts of that last year, and I’ve been in one for the past week. Reading slumps happen. Often the trick to getting back into the swing of things, at least for me, is to return to familiar, nostalgic reading territory. It’s good to be reminded from time to time why I fell in love with reading in the first place. Another factor in this equation is that reading slumps can happen when you’ve read a load of new but not wonderful books. It can be hard to remember why you love reading when you spend your time consuming a seemingly never-ending plate of disappointment drizzled with lame sauce (yes, I did just say that—deal.) If that’s the case, it could be worthwhile to fall back on the books you know won’t ever let you down. After all, the books that stick with you stick with you for a reason, and they may get you back on track. 

Rereading helps you cement ideas and find new details. Especially if you’re a decently fast reader like me, you’re bound to miss some stuff. This is actually why I’ve slowed down my reading a little over the past few years. There have been times when I’ve found something new and surprising in a book I’d read five or six times before, and it’s one of the most exciting feelings ever. Suddenly an old story feels fresh again—deeper and more meaningful and so worth that second glance. Beyond that, time can change your perspective and give you new insights so it’s almost as if the stories you love are changing as you change and maturing as you mature. Granted, sometimes you’ll discover that a book you thought was deep and meaningful is really just a pile of cheap candy with sugar-coated-truth sprinkles on top, which can be a let down. But I, at least, would like to know that the books I love can stand up to my scrutiny. It makes the stuff that does stick with me even more valuable. 

Rereading can help you understand your emotions and your psyche better. I’ll admit, there was a dark period in my life where I hated MOCKINGJAY with a fiery passion. The first time I read it, I was about thirteen years old, and it left me feeling so rattled and disappointed I didn’t know how to process all the negative emotions running through my overheated little brain. I had loved THE HUNGER GAMES and CATCHING FIRE beyond human expression, and I was frustrated with the perceived turn the series had taken. So after that, every time I reread the first two books, I skipped the last one which is very out of character for me. If I’m going to reread the first and second books in a trilogy, I’m going to reread the entire thing—I just am. Eventually, I convinced myself to rip off the mental bandaid and re-experience MOCKINGJAY in hopes of figuring out what had bothered me so much. Wonder of wonders, I came away loving it because I was finally able to understand what nerve it had touched, and this time I could appreciate why I had related to Katniss and her struggles on such a deep level. In figuring out why it had bothered me, I was able to delve further into my own psyche. That’s just one example; my discussions of A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS are another example of what I’m talking about here. 

I could extol the virtues of rereading for a thousand more words or so, at which point probably all of you would have wandered off to buy coffee or “Down with Liz—Cait for World Ruler” tee-shirts. Fortunately Heather @ Sometimes I’m a Story has already written her own lovely post on the subject, so I’ll just drop that link here instead. You're welcome. 

To be perfectly honest, my reasons for writing this post are abominably selfish. As I mentioned before, yes, I reread 48 books last year, but I also read 70 new ones. And I felt myself more drawn/slightly obligated to those because I hadn’t read them yet. I also felt a smidge guilty every time I went back and reread something when there were still new bookish delicacies to be devoured. I don’t want to feel bad about rereading stories I love while new ones sit untouched on my shelves for a time. They will have their day, most likely. But this year I want to focus on fully enjoying everything I’m reading, new or not. Listing these reasons for rereading is just another exercise in convincing my brain it’s okay to take a nostalgia tour from time to time. Convincing you of my viewpoint would only be a lovely side effect. Either way I win. *evil laugh* 

Well, that’s it little coffee beans. What about you—do you reread? Why or why not? Is there anything else you feel I should have added to my list?