Hello everyone
It’s easy to read a book or watch a movie, reach the end and throw it aside, never to return.
As an author, you might be expecting me to advocate that readers should never reread a book—maybe that way we will sell more books. Maybe… but maybe not. However, I don’t take that attitude. Indeed, let me make the case for rereading books.
Enjoyment
Perhaps the most obvious reason to reread a book is enjoyment. If you enjoyed a book once, then you’ll probably enjoy it a second time (and a third, and…).
Whenever we start reading a new book, there’s always a worry that the book won’t live up to the hype and will leave us disappointed. Rereading a book we have enjoyed removes that worry—it’s the literary equivalent of comfort food.
Different Perspective
A second read of a book will give a different perspective.
With a second read, we are a different person—we will be older and will hopefully have accumulated more wisdom. Beyond catching details that were missed previously, with the second read, the details that we noticed the first time will be seen through older eyes and may be interpreted differently.
Seeing How it’s Done
As an author, I’ll often reread a book I enjoyed to try and understand how the author achieved what they did.
I look for how they created tension and built the emotion. I’ll look for the clues, I’ll savor the language, and I’ll wonder at how the characters were formed.
And yeah, I’ll wonder how the author reached the decision to tell this specific story.
When to Reread
One interesting question is when to reread a book. There is, of course, no right answer.
I know people who finish a book and then reread it immediately. With the second read they look for what they missed in the first, seeking out clues that now seem obvious and laughing at the red herrings that misled them on the first read.
For me, I tend to leave some space—typically years. By allowing this time, I will have forgotten when the key plot points hit (and often, I’ll have forgotten how many of the story threads were tied together), so I can experience the book afresh.
What I Reread
For me, there are several books that I reread, but the books I most frequently return to are:
I don’t know if it’s significant, but these are all debut novels.
I reread these enough that I know where they’re going while I read. But rereading is an enjoyable journey and I’m never disappointed.
To Conclude
Obviously, if you’re looking for some new novels, I can make some recommendatons. And if you have read one or more of my books, please do reread them.
But also, take a moment to think about those books on your shelves (or on your Kindle or your phone). Think which books really enjoyed reading the first time and maybe crack one open again. And if you’re already a rereader, then think about adding a new book to your rotation.
I’ll be back in November.
Until then.
All the best
Simon