I hardly ever re-read books these days. There always seems to be something new to read. But there are some that I would like to re-read one day either to re-live nostalgia from my youth or because they confused me the first time round and I still haven’t made up my mind about what I think of them or because I read them a really long time ago and I want to see if I appreciate them more now…
Never Let Me Go: Kazuo Ishiguro
When my mum gave me this book to read, she said ‘This book freaked me out, you should read it.’ It freaked me out too but not so much that I would never touch it again – it’s a complex book full of complex ideas and characters.
The Go-Between: L P Hartley
I read this not too long ago and it’s one of the most densely layered novels I’ve ever read. Even though I know the ending, I think it might be one of those stories that is even more shocking second time round despite knowing what’s coming.
Rebecca: Daphne du Maurier
I read ‘My Cousin Rachel’ not too long ago and it reminded me that I should get round to re-visiting ‘Rebecca’ which I first read when I was about twelve or thirteen – it was one of the first ‘grown-up’ classic books I read that I really enjoyed.
Harry Potter series: J K Rowling / His Dark Materials: Philip Pullman
Aaaah childhood nostalgia…. I haven’t read any Harry Potter books since The Deathly Hallows came out which was five years ago now and I’m sure it’s even longer since I read His Dark Materials. I think I will re-read both of these series in one go when I finish my Masters degree next summer – it will be interesting to look at them again with a more critical eye this time round.
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 (and the sequels): Sue Townsend
I also plan to re-read some of my favourite comic novels….again! I’ve already re-read the Adrian Mole books at least twice so I already know that they are worth reading again.
The Secret History: Donna Tartt
I read this book about three years ago and loved it. I only wish Tartt could write a little faster… since ‘The Secret History’ was published in 1992, she has only published one other novel!
Which books do you want to re-read?
A Little Blog of Books 
Ironically I’m just drinking a cup of Yorkshire tea. It’s a bit hot at the moment. The reason I started my blog was so I wouldn’t forget which books I’ve read; that way I’ll never read one twice! I had read Headlong previously, but I’d forgotten all of it, as I said on my blog. I have a terrible memory. The blog’s an aide-memoire.
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I don’t actually re-read very many books. Sometimes, if it’s part of a series, I’ll re-read right before the next book comes out as a refresher. I do however listen to the audio book version of my favorites. I can’t pay attention to the audio book enough to listen the first time around, but once I know the story, I plug in my iphone and listen to books in the car. 🙂 I get to re-live my favorites, without wasting precious reading time on something I’ve already read!
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Great idea to listen to favourites again rather than re-reading!
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I would definitely read Never Let Me Go and I’m in the process of re-reading HP and have Adrian Mole on my shelves to re-read at some point! I’m so glad I decided to take a bit of time and reread it’s even more relaxing!
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I want to reread Gone With the Wind, Sense and Sensibility, Jane Eyre, Oliver Twist, Little Women (etc.) 🙂
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I also don’t reread much. That said, I can’t wait for my daughter to be old enough for Harry Potter so I can read the whole series a third time. I also want to revisit Satanic Verses and see if I can get more out of it now that I have the big picture. And I need to read Vanity Fair and give it a real chance. I also will probably come back to The Death of Artemio Cruz, since it was amazing, but I have a hard time explaining why I thought so. Another read with answering that question in mind would be a great idea. I want to revisit Tryst by Elsworth Thane because I loved it as a teen, and would like to see how it fares reading it now. Having just enjoyed Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, I’m tempted to reread the Len Deighton spy series that I liked years ago. However, like most of you already said, it is really hard to justify rereading with so much amazing stuff still out there unread!!
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Never Let Me Go is one of my favourites. The dystopic elements are so subtle and realistic — really scary! And I think I’m about due for a HP re-read too. Other books I’d like to re-read… Thomas Mann’s The Magic Mountain, if I ever have a month or two to spare, haha — there is just so much going on in it, I know I didn’t appreciate it all on the first read.
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I was halfway through writing a post on exactly the same issue when I spotted this! On my list are ‘A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius’ by David Eggers, ‘A Prayer for Owen Meany’ by John Irving and ‘Angela’s Ashes’ by Frank McCourt – all books I really loved the first time around.
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I love to re-read my favorite books, but I usually leave at least a decade between re-reads (I recently re-read Hemingway’s ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’ — I first read it about thirty years ago — and it was even better the second time ’round).
I loved ‘Never Let Me Go’ (I enjoyed ‘Remains of the Day’ even more, and ‘An Artist of the Floating World’ is also very good).
I was too old to fully appreciate the Harry Potter series, but have fond memories of reading the books to my daughter.
‘Rebecca’ is an excellent book to re-visit.
I would like to re-read ‘Anna Karenina’ some day; perhaps after I retire, when I have more time to plumb its depths.
By the way, thanks for visiting my Blog 🙂
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The Go-between is a great book, sadly not known by many. I’ve only read it once but I agree that knowing what happens would only make it better the second time round.
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There are more than enough opportunities for rereading a book during your lifetime, from academic study to sharing with a reading buddy, that choosing to reread a book seems highly problematic and wasteful. Look at it this way: while you might be in your comfort zone rereading a book you enjoyed before, there are so many other, new titles available to further stimulate your reading genes. So for every book you reread, there is one or more books you never get the chance to read. That seems sad to me …
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I liked what you wrote about the Harry Potter series, A few days ago, I was just contemplating doing the exact same thing, It’s been me quite a few years as well and I too was thinking whether I would find the book more enjoyable this time round, after having enhanced my understanding. Nice post!!
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I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve re-read the whole Harry Potter series. You know it’s a good sign when a book becomes dog-eared with a broken spine 🙂
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I am a believer in rereading. I remember once reading a library book 8 times in the 7 days before I had to turn it in 🙂 I bet your books look nice – mine all are worn out and tattered
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ooh good idea- i have re- read pride and prejudice soo many times 😛 will write my own list 🙂
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Finished The Night Circus last night and already want to reread it!
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I’m glad to hear that because I’ve just got a copy of it from the library and will be reading it this week!
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Worth it for the cover alone 🙂
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I’ve skipped more than a decade. Re-read alot of Hardy in hospital (emergency purchase from WRVS shop) and enjoyed them (Tess and the Mayor of Casterbridge especially), also the Flambards trilogy. More recently, for booksclub, Madam Bovary (not so good the second time) and Testament of Youth (hated it the first time, enjoyed the second time). In the pipe-line, on my want list, A Suitable Boy, Great Expectations and all the Narnia books (with my LO – when he shows some interest).
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I need to re-read “Catch-22” by Joseph Heller. I think it has got to be one of my favorites. That and “Master and Margarita” by Mikhael Bulgakov.
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Before you rush to reread Catch-22, have you read the sequel Heller wrote? No, it’s not Catch-23 but rather Closing Time and was published over thirty years after Catch-22. Heller is generally considered a one-hit-wonder but I have read some of his other writing and, although it didn’t make the splash his first novel did, it wasn’t too bad.
What is your opinion of the similarity of Heller’s novel to another novel published in England two years earlier?
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I’ve never been able to get my hands on a copy. Laziness mostly.
Which other novel are you talking about?
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My memory is rough but a novel called something like The Sky Is a Lonely Place was published a couple of years before Catch-22 with the same basic theme, war-time fliers trying to get out of the conflict through imaginative (quirky?) methods.
It’s interesting that nothing was said about this coincidence for many years after Heller published his novel. When eventually confronted he was reported to brush-off the critics by chastising them that they sat around for thirty years before bringing up this concern.
Heller apparently was a real rough and tumble guy; probably the real deal when compared with poseurs such as Norman Mailer.
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Fascinating. I just bought the original first printing of “The Sky is a Lonely Place”. Apparently it was known as “Face of a Hero” in the States. I’ll let you know how similar it is, once I read it. I’ve read the reviews of the book and lots of WWII vets were stunned at how much it spoke of their experience and how true to life it was.
I’ve been wanting to read Heller’s biography written by his daughter. From what little I’ve heard, he wasn’t a walk in the park. I actually know for a fact that Carlos Fuentes (RIP) was a little hard to live with as well. Both of his children died in mysterious circumstances. Speculation abounds, as always.
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Books I’d like to reread- “The Catcher In The Rye,” “Cannery Row,” “Sweet Thursday,” “The Wayward Bus,” and many others.
Glen
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If there was only one book that I could pick to re-read it would have to be ‘Shadow of the Minotaur’ by Alan Gibbons. I first read it when I was in year 6 and was so caught up in the story that I didn’t realise that the school bell had actually rung and lessons had started! I couldn’t put it down until I got to the very end, it’s brilliant, despite being branded a children’s book
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Actually i will reread a book if it is a very good book. there is some benefit in reading a book a few time, firstly if that is a very good book it help you to remember the good story plot inside, secondly if u read the same book in different point of your life you will tend to read it in different perspectives. You might read the story in a different light and maybe get to know its deeper message that you never knew when u read it the first time or when u are younger. hm thats what i think.
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