Ep 125- Re-Reading and the Return of Reading Horizons

[Sue]

I am not a re-reader. However, I discovered when scouring my bookshelves for a Booktopia Yankee Swap selection, that many of the books I own were unfamiliar to me - forgotten, or, perhaps, never read. I decided that after reading whatever I ended up purchasing at Booktopia, in addition to whatever is currently in a strategic position on my nightstand, I would have at the book shelf, and buy no more books until everything there was read. I have a big job ahead of me, but I am going to embrace the the idea that there are many rewards to re-reading and dive in. I am excluding the many parenting books that have taken up residence over the past 10 years or so, but everything else is fair game. Hello, Desperate Characters and that William Trevor collection I got half-way through. I'm coming for you.

I loved hearing Simon talk about Booktopia on this episode while I was still on my Vermont high. I was at the table where the book Simon helped across the pond was swapped, but didn't have the chance to steal it, and I met Roz and Layla during a wonderful speed chat session and learned all about their lovely bookshelves.

I hope Simon and Thomas find a way to get to Petoskey!

[Chris]

I'm not sure how I missed you, Sue, I was at Booktopia as well! And I met Roz and Layla as well and liked the Simon connection!

I loved listening to this podcast! A couple of years ago I hung my hat on re-reading, I will only re-read if they are my absolute favorite books in the world: The Great Gatsby, Of Mice and Men, 84 Charing Cross Road, Rebecca, Little Women. I realize as each birthday passes there is no way I will be able to read all the books I want to in the world! I'm getting too old! So I have to pass on the re-reading. I won't even re-read a book for book club, I'll just scan and try to remember! :-)

[Louise]

I very rarely re-read, I think I can think of 2 or 3 books I've read again within the last 20 years (excepting children's books! ;-) ) There are just too many new books I want to read.

Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising I read as a teenager, an re-read it recently - still love it :-)
I re-read W. Somerset Maugham's short stories from time to time, and I've re-read Haroun and the Sea of Stories

[Richard]

In the past year I've reread a couple of books - The Quiet American by Graham Greene and A Handful of Dust by Evelyn Waugh. The Quiet American is a favourite novel by one of my favorite authors. I liked it just as much the second time around but was surprised at how much I'd forgotten. I remembered the storyline reasonably well, but I'd forgotten a lot of the detail. I enjoyed rereading it.

I also liked rereading A Handful of Dust. Again, I'd forgotten a lot of the detail but the first reading was in 1988, so it isn't so surprising that I'd forgotten so much.

I've reread a few Dickens novels over the years. I intend to reread Middlemarch because it's a dense but very rewarding novel and I think I probably missed a lot the first time round. I'm fairly sure that I'll reread most of Trollope's novels one day. But how will I find the time when there are so many new novels to read?

[[deleted user]]

Re-reading is something I mostly do with series. Each time a new Susan Hill Serrailler novel comes out, I re-read the previous one first. I do the same with the Alexander McCall Smith serials that I follow (Scotland Street and Isabel Dalhousie).

That new Sarah Hall book that you spoke about sounds good: the one involving wolves. She did a good interview about it on The Guardian Books Podcast a few weeks back. One small correction, Simon said the book featured the Scottish Reformation rather than the Scottish Independence Referendum. The former took place in the sixteenth century when there were still wolves in Scotland.

[Melissa]

I teach English literature, so I reread the titles that I teach every year. Simon, you do not need to be hesitant to reread To Kill a Mockingbird. I teach it every year, and it certainly holds up.
I have my own comfort rereads: all of Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, and P. G. Wodehouse.

[Kara]

If you guys also came to Booktopia Petoskey (will be my first one!!) I would just be having fan girl moments all around!

Right now I'm re-reading the first Harry Potter, just on my phone when I have a few minutes in a long line or waiting room, and hope to do the whole series over the next couple years. I absolutely love them in audio too but I got the ebooks as a gift so that's allowing me to highlight favorite passages.

Next I also want to re-read The Great Gatsby, a favorite that I also re-read on audio a few years ago so now it's time for the print. Also This is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett and Sister Mother Husband Dog by Delia Ephron, both essay collections I listened to & now want to read in print so I can underline passages in the print copies I received for Christmas!

[Ruthiella]

Richard wrote: "In the past year I've reread a couple of books - The Quiet American by Graham Greene and A Handful of Dust by Evelyn Waugh. The Quiet American is a favourite novel by one of my favorite authors. I ..."

I really should re-read The Quiet American. I loved it so much when I first read it and as Richard indicates, it will hold up on re-reading.

[Elizabeth☮]

I don't typically have time to re-read, but I did re-read To Kill A Mockingbird recently and it really held up over time. I also re-read The Great Gatsby, but didn't recall much of the plot.

I do want to re-read Watership Down which I loved the first time I read it.

[Karen]

Although I keep many books I've read on the premise that 'I might want to read that again" in ready I seldom get to them. There are so many new books I've yet to discover - the anticipation of new friends means I neglect the old ones. But I'm also nervous that if I loved the book the first time around, the second reading will spoil the experience of that first time. When I do re-read it's typically a 'classic'. Middlemarch I've read 5 times and could easily read it just as many times again. Graham Greene I am rediscovering - my first experience was rushed because he was on my uni syllabus and you had no time to actually enjoy anything. Second time around i'm loving his work

[Kate]

Yay! I would be very excited to meet you in a fan girl i.e. I would be speechless.