What books do you like to reread?

[Mark]

Rosemarie wrote: "I have read the Lord of the Rings trilogy at least three times, with intervals of more than years.
I first read it in university when "everybody" was reading it, back in the early 70s.
Another pop..."
Interesting, Rosemarie. Yes, there is always that inherent danger that what we found so appealing 20 years ago no longer satisfies the same way today. I think it is another good example of the theory that it is not the books at all that change, but only we. - )

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

I noticed that with Stranger in a Strange Land by Heinlein, which I also read in the 70s. I reread it last year and had a much lower opinion of it. I thought it was a really silly book.
But I enjoyed Dune even more on rereading.

[Mark]

Phrodrick wrote: "My most re read book is Catch-22 Not sure I know the total count but at least 4 reads back to back
Next has to be War and Peace at least four reads

I recently reread the [..."
I do remember a time in life when Catch-22 was the only book for me. And read it over and over again until finally I was jaded. These days it is Ulysses that gets the same attention. - )

[Mark]

Rosemarie wrote: "I noticed that with Stranger in a Strange Land by Heinlein, which I also read in the 70s. I reread it last year and had a much lower opinion of it. I thought it was a really silly book.
But I enjoy..."
I loved Stranger in the day. It was a great book. I was a big fan of Hesse back then too, but trying to reread some of my favorites has not gone well. Overall the stories seem too simplistic for me now. - )

[Mark]

Linda wrote: "I think we all read Silas Marner in school because it was Eliot's shortest book, and maybe Wharton's Ethan Fromefor the same reason. High schoolers are too young to understand many of the classics ..."
So glad you mentioned Ethan Frome. It was the most dreadful educational experience of my life. - )

[Brian E]

A few years ago, I re-read the 9 books in Robertson Davies' 3 trilogies
The Salterton Trilogy: Tempest-Tost; Leaven of Malice; A Mixture of Frailties
The Deptford Trilogy: Fifth Business/The Manticore/World of Wonders &
The Cornish Trilogy: The Rebel Angels; What's Bred in the Bone; The Lyre of Orpheus

I was reading them in my early 60s after first reading them in my 30s. This time around I was most enamored with his earliest and lesser known Salterton Trilogy, especially Tempest-Tost. I appreciated the lighter social commentary in the first trilogy more than the intensely psychological analysis and insights in the later 2 trilogies, which I had preferred the first time. I will re-read The Salterton Trilogy again in a few years.

[Abigail]

Good idea, Brian! I should put that on my list as well.

[Frances, Moderator]

Wow, that's a blast from the past. Like you I think I read then 30+ years ago. It might be worth a reread now that I'm at a different stage in life.