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Do you ever re-read a book?

(144 Posts)
Eloethan Thu 08-Feb-18 15:40:35

I was interested to read on the "If you could only save one book ..." thread a poster's comment that she never re-read a book.

Do you?

Even if I have enjoyed a book very much, I'm unlikely to re-read it but there have been a few exceptions:

The Accidental Tourist, St Maybe, Breathing Lessons - Anne Tyler
Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
Orchard on Fire - Sheena McKay

My, I think, all time favourite book - Secret History by Donna Tartt, I'm a bit scared to re-read. I loved it so much that I'm nervous that I'll be disappointed if I read it again.

Tony2018 Mon 27-Aug-18 17:11:29

I quite regularly re-read Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories.
Edgar Allan Poe’s stories are another favourite re-read.
Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels are also a favourite re-read.
For individual books rather than collections Diary of a Nobody and Dracula are two favourite re-reads.
A guilty pleasure is re-reading biographies of actresses Joan Sims, Margaret Rutherford, and Beryl Reid - they are ‘comfort reading’ on my kindle.

Jessity Mon 27-Aug-18 10:52:56

Newbie long-time lurker here, may I join in please? Like Jalima upthread, I sometimes reread Miss Read, but my all time reread favourite is Georgette Heyer. Alas no-one writes similarly in my view.

Richa94 Thu 23-Aug-18 08:24:35

who will cry when you die and the monk who sold his Ferrari By Robin Sharma are the two books which I have re-read. These books help me a lot in self-development.

DoraMarr Mon 20-Aug-18 16:37:40

I must have read “Crampton Hodnet” by Barbara Pym a score of times. It’s my “comfort blanket” book. I think it’s the humour, the believable plot, and the quiet stoicism that I find comforting when things are a bit sad or worrying in my life. I wonder if any other GNers have books they read as a comfort?

toscalily Mon 20-Aug-18 16:04:58

So many books & not enough time, this thread is only adding to my list of books to read. I only occasionally re-read a book, usually because I had forgotten I had read it in the first place confused. This does not happen very often now as I have quite a concise list of authors & books that I have enjoyed( or not as the case may be) going back many years.

littleflo Mon 20-Aug-18 12:57:12

I am reading The Count of Monte Cristo for the 3rd time. It always reveals something new. On the second and third readings though, I begin when he is realessed from prison.

Jane43 Tue 31-Jul-18 14:36:03

I’ve read Great Expectations by Charles Dickens and
Tess Of The Durbervilles many times and am about to re-read The Pillars Of The Earth by Ken Follett.

M0nica Tue 31-Jul-18 14:10:28

I am currently re-reading 'Hester' by the Victorian writer, Mrs Oliphant. It is quite long and I read it about a year ago and had to put it down at the end and let it rest. It was such a belter and had such an emotional end (I am not talking about romance).

I have just started re-reading it and it is even better on the second read than on the first, I am not chasing the plot and I am now really seeing how well it is constructed, how insights into the later behaviour of major characters is woven into the early sections.

I have also been reading some critiques and analyses of the book online and it is already rapidly climbing the list of my all time favourite novels.

gomes766 Mon 30-Jul-18 15:40:05

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
I read it twice

Lindylo Tue 24-Jul-18 09:34:53

I've reread several Charles Dickens novels and am amazed at what I've missed in the text before. Also reread Life of Pi.

pollyperkins Tue 24-Jul-18 08:22:37

Welcome Hagridgran. I dont deliberately look at the end of a book but sometimes I cant resist looking ahead to see how it all turns out. Then Im cross with myself !
I often find I get more out of a book on re-reading, especially if there's been a twist in the plot. I'm thinking particularly of Gone girl and a book we read recently in Book Group called I let you go. Once you know the twist is coming you can look for clues and wonder why you didn't see them! I often reread favourites and don't find that knowing the ending spoils them at all.

sodapop Tue 24-Jul-18 08:08:11

That's funny Jalima
Am I the only person who finds Dickens a bit tiresome. I find it tedious wading through all that descriptive stuff.

Jalima1108 Mon 23-Jul-18 22:27:51

Every time I wash the floors I remember the Miss Read books where she had to show the cleaner how to clean backwards, not forwards over the floor she has just cleaned!

Harris27 Mon 23-Jul-18 22:25:23

My feel good books are the ' miss read' books keep them and go back to them. Also Rosamund Pilcher winter solstice. Love it .

woodlark Mon 02-Jul-18 16:56:19

the author of "The Source" is James Michener, not Leon Uris.

Fennel Tue 26-Jun-18 20:43:36

Hagridnan No need to apologise. Not on this thread anyway. But maybe stay away from the political topicswink.
I often read the end of a book, if it's whodunit type.
The last novel I read was based on a modern family where the mother had been unfaithful - I just had to go to the end to find out how her husband dealt with it.
Can't remember the title, my daughter lent me it.

Hagridnan Tue 26-Jun-18 10:59:36

Hi, very long time lurker here! Books have been a huge passion since childhood so have signed up and am risking my first ever post anywhere this morning!

I read and read again all the books I love, I also have to confess to reading the end of a book after the first chapter, odd I know but I hate to be let down by the ending not meeting my expectations and have to be prepared.

Hope nobody minds me joining in.

humptydumpty Tue 26-Jun-18 10:37:33

Doesn't the fact you know what's coming spoil re-reading e.g. Stephen King, Patricia Cornwell?

Lupin Tue 26-Jun-18 10:17:49

Oh dear! Sorry Annep. My favourite Jane Austen is Persuasion. I will have another look at Northanger Abbey. It's years since I did. Perhaps I'll view it differently now.
Am re-reading The Unknown Ajax by Georgette Heyer at the moment. Hugo is my favourite Heyer hero.

annep Sat 23-Jun-18 11:47:22

got some good ideas for reading here.

Jalima1108 Fri 22-Jun-18 21:11:05

I don't very often re-read a book but I have a few children's classics which I may re-read before passing them on to the DGC.

jasmina Fri 22-Jun-18 21:06:31

Stephen King books when I want a good scare

JustALaugh Fri 22-Jun-18 17:13:47

Yes, I've read a few books more than once:

Forty years of murder (a pathology book by Keith Simpson)
Fred and Rose, about Fred and Rose West
Of Mice and Men
To Kill A Mocking Bird

Maybelle Fri 22-Jun-18 17:12:30

I do re-read my books, wide range of genres and will aim to read everything again over the years
Have certain authors i collect plus new random books when I fancy a change. Luckily I have a library not too far away.
After all I have art in my walls that I look at more than once.

Chewbacca Fri 22-Jun-18 16:39:22

I'm re reading the collected stories of Somerset Maugham. First read them when they were on the required reading list at school and I still love them.