There are so many books in the world. The sad truth is that no one can read all of them. If you live for 50 more years and read 50 books a year, that’s only 2500 more books. And frankly, for many of us, those are both fairly optimistic assumptions!
So, given that 2500 isn’t a big number, it might seem silly to re-read a book. But I’d argue that there can be a lot of pleasure and insight gained from re-reading something that’s worth reading. You are a different person than you used to be. A text might be the same, but you can see different things. All this can make re-reading almost like reading fresh. But since you know you liked the book the first time, it’s highly likely not to be a waste of time.
Seeing with new eyes
I certainly had this experience a few years ago when I decided to read all the works of Shakespeare. I’d read or seen performances of several works before. Like many high schoolers, I was forced to read Romeo and Juliet for English class. At the time, I was drawn to the drama of these romantic, love-struck teenagers. Now, as a mother of kids that age, I found myself rolling my eyes at how silly and hot-headed Shakespeare’s hero and heroine act. The tale is tragic to be sure, but some of it reads like farce — which is something I didn’t see so much before.
In a completely different genre, I recently re-read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. I remember reading Stephen Covey’s classic self-help book many years ago, before I had kids. I thought it was good, and I got some practical ideas about planning and such from it. Reading it now, I’m fascinated to see how much his experience with his nine kids permeates his writing. His was a very traditional family, and I know his wife managed much of the household work, and yet the needs and joys of small kids are there in his time in a way that many other authors just don’t acknowledge. How do we accomplish big things in the world while managing our relationships with multiple young people? It’s a good question and it’s certainly one I care about more now with a house full of young people myself.
Sometimes we just revisit works to revisit good prose. I recently re-read Pilgrim at Tinker Creek to be reminded of how Annie Dillard captures the wildness of the natural world. I re-read Virginia Woolf’s To The Lighthouse every few years because it is just the most perfect novel. It is everything about humanity’s weakness and possibility in 200 pages.
Being choosy
Now to be sure, not every book stands up to revisiting. I’ve decided not to revisit a few books I read in childhood because I’m pretty sure they won’t be as good as I remember them being. Best to keep the happy memory rather than see the flaws.
But many books do stand the test of time. If you’ve found yourself in a reading rut recently, or even if you haven’t but you’re struggling with the question of what to read next, try revisiting a familiar book. If it’s been a while, there may be things you’ve forgotten that will be interesting. Maybe you didn’t see something the first time through. Or maybe you’ll approach the story in a different way now that you are a different person. Good literature can stand up to all of this. And you’ll have a great reading experience.
Note: This essay first ran over at Vanderhacks, my Substack newsletter. Please check it out and consider a subscription!
Photo: Currently re-reading Anna Karenina for the first time since 2001, and am almost done…
Couldn’t agree more. I just re-read Pride and Prejudice for the first time since high school bc I thought it’d be fun to read this love story as a married adult. And it was so fun and delightful! I read Seven Habits before having kids too but don’t remember much about it. Maybe I will revisit that one next.
I reread Pride and Prejudice every few years. The language is so perfect. “Dearest, loveliest Elizabeth…”
@Amanda – I finally got through P&P two years ago. Took a while for me to get into it but then I definitely did!
Arnold Bennett’s “How To Live on 24 Hours A Day” (written in 1907!) is a classic. His advice usually boils to just discarding a task!
@Anne – that tends to be good advice!
Yes! I recently reread The Story of a Soul (the autobiography of Saint Thérèse) and loved it even more than when I first read it about 35 years ago. There’s something comforting about returning to a beloved book, poem, or song. On that note, while visiting my parents, I found my childhood Bible – a children’s edition that’s no longer in print. Rereading scripture in the familiar phrasing I knew so well as a child has been such a breath of fresh air.
@Jammy – love it – yes, re-reading can be so comforting.
I love to re-read, yet also have the battle with so many new books I want to read. “The Lord of The Rings” is one I have read multiple times. Also Jane Austen. It is lovely to read knowing what happens and spotting the carefully planted clues one missed completely the first time round in “Emma” for example. But sometimes I wish I had a memory wipe function and could read a favourite book as if for the first time and enjoy all the surprises all over again.
@Katherine – I do love rereading knowing what happens because yes, you see clues that might have been missed before. Very satisfying. Even if the element of surprise is gone…
I love to re-read, though don’t do it now nearly as much as I did when I was a teen.
But right now I’m reading The Swiss Family Robinson out loud to my 10-year-old. It was one of my favourite books as a kid and it has been nothing short of delightful to revisit it with him. He’s loving it!
@Elisabeth – how fun! So glad he is loving it.
Of all the books to re-read Anna Karenina seems like a good one to choose. 🙂
I do think sometimes about going back to read some of my favorites from when I was younger, but then I worry that they might have aged badly. For instance, I used to LOVE John Irving, and The World According to Garp was the book that got me reading again in high school. But I worry that some of the themes might not have aged particularly well… Well anyway, I’m reading James now, and quite enjoying it. Maybe it will inspire me to re-read Huckleberry Finn… we shall see.
@omdg – yes, I have avoided a few books — sometimes it’s best just to have the happy memory. Something like Anna Karenina — well, one knows that has stood the test of time.
I am curious which books you have read in your childhood that you prefer not to re read to preserve the happy memories? Also, what is a good translation for Ana Karenina. I started it once but it was an awful translation. I have re read Little Women multiple times and I love it but I see your point in not revisiting some books just in case.
@Laura – I was trying to avoid naming names – some writers are still currently writing 🙂 But I am glad to hear Little Women held up for you – I think that classics tend to do that. They are classics for a reason.
One of my favorite things to do is look on eBay for my favorite non-famous, but very beloved, childhood books with covers. I set up an alert and finally found the version of Harriet the Spy with the exact cover I loved as kid, as well as some American Girl magazines from 1996 that brought back so many memories, BUT my best find was a book that from the ages of 10-12, I read and re-read a million times on how to start a babysitting business. Last year, after some creative search term searching because I couldn’t recall the title, I finally found the exact book on eBay and it was such a joy to open the box and see this book I loved as a kid. It’s in a special place on my desk as we speak! I still love being surrounded by babies and running businesses haha.
Great reminder!!!
@Molly — ooh, love it. And a babysitting business like the Babysitter’s club – very cool!