I was talking to my friend today, and she was telling me about a historical fiction novel that she was reading for the third time or so. It was clear that she enjoyed the book a lot, though one of the things that stuck out to me was the fact that she was going through it for a time that wasn’t the first. Reading a book more than once just isn’t something I do, but apparently very common to many people, and I didn’t realize just how common it was until I started talking to a lot of other readers.
With the exception of maybe two or three books, I just don’t read anything more than once. It’s never seemed like a good use of my time when there are so many unread books out there. I can watch movies more than once, listen to a song more than once, etc. but I can’t do the same with books. I think it has something to do with the length, and may also have to do with the fact that I’m kind of picky about how I spend my time. Whenever I’m doing something, I’m thinking, I’m sure I could be doing something more useful than this. Even if I am doing something useful. So to read a book, something that could take hours and hours, is a hassle.
When I read a book for the first time, I’m going on a new adventure. Around every corner is a surprise, something that keeps me wanting more, and I’ll pull all nighters because I get so excited. But if I’ve already read the book, there are no surprises. I know everything. It’s not new. It’s taking the same path, watching everything happen from a third person perspective instead of feeling like I’m involved in the book anymore. I like the feeling that I’m in a book, that I’m going on some journey with the characters… but if I’ve read the book already, I don’t have that feeling. And it sucks.
The photo above is my copy of The Lord of the Rings. I picked it up just as I started middle school, and it’s been taken everywhere and read countless times. Why do I make an exception for this? Maybe it’s because I feel like the world is just that cool and that it’s so huge and complex that I end up learning something new each time. I don’t honestly have a great answer for it; all I know is that this is one of those books I will probably read over and over as long as I own it.
What do you read more than once, and why? What brings you to read something more than once, even if you already know what’s going to happen?
Kay Solo 
I’m more or less the same way. I do revisit books sometimes, but only after a period of time has passed since I last read them. Some books i often read include Harry Potter books (especially PoA) and Things My Girlfriend and I Argued About by Mil Millington.
Oddly enough, those are two books/book series I couldn’t ever imagine reading more than once. Mil’s book because it was tremendously meh, and HP because it was so awesome I can’t imagine ever forgetting anything. Then again, it’s been a while since I’ve read them, so I might just go beginning to end again one of these days.
I’ll go back and re-read the previous book in a series before I read the newest addition just to reconnect with the story and the characters. It’s usually a long time between releases for books in a series (unless I’m hoarding…um I mean collecting them in hard back). Then there are times when I’ve just run out of things to read so I’ll reach for a favorite I haven’t read in years and immerse myself again. Granted, subsequent readings aren’t as exciting but they are still enjoyable enough and provide enough of an escape.
I do that occasionally. I did it with the Eragon books because Christopher Paolini took just so darn long to get the books out (and then added more to the series). I actually haven’t read the last one yet, if indeed it is the last one… I think I may have done it for Harry Potter too, but I also had all the books on tape, so I knew pretty much every book by heart at one point. >_> (Listening to them every night for years will do that.)
LOL – yes, I suppose it would. I have a terrible memory when it comes to books so fortunately, the longer I go between readings, the more like new the re-read experience. But what is this you say? There are more books in the Eragon series? Shows you how behind the times I am, I thought it was just the three. Dang it. Looks as if I’ll be re-reading the first two, as I haven’t read the 3rd one yet – was waiting to find it in paperback and well, then the recession hit me personally and I haven’t been to a book store in quite a while (sigh) and it’s forever gone from the library…
I have never once read a book a second time.