Friday, June 15, 2018

Are You Reading That AGAIN???

It amazes me that so many people look at a book I'm reading (The one with the tattered pages, the cover half worn off, the spine hanging together by sheer willpower and the few driblets of glue that oozed between the pages at the bookbinder's) and say words to the effect of, "Man, are you reading that one again? You read it once already."

Well, of course I've read it already. I know what happens  I know each and every character like they are my family. I know their foibles, their strengths, I know every cliffhanger and every twist of the story. And yes, I remember how it ends.

So why read it again and again?

Let me ask this: Do you have a favorite song, a favorite album? I wore the grooves right off the first live album by Rush ("All the World's a Stage," in case you're wondering). Because I enjoyed the way each song was assembled, how the notes and chords rang in my ears, how the words made me think about the message in the song (See kids, back then, songs actually had a message).

What about movies? I know people who gladly sat through many consecutive showings of the latest slasher flick or the new sci-fi epic. I assume it's all about how they feel when the hero triumphs, or the way the villain jumps out from behind the couch with that big fantastic butcher knife.

That's the way I feel when I read a book. Even though I've pored over it a dozen times before, I still get those same feelings again when Mycroft falls silent. When Jon kisses Nadia. When Black Beauty comes back home.

So why are books different than music? Different than movies? If you can watch the same DVD over and over, you can read the same book over and over. And while you're at it, buy a few more. Dozen, that is.

Just read. Again.

5 comments:

  1. I think there are two kinds of people in the world - the people who can read a book or watch a movie multiple times, and the people who read once and never want to read it again.

    I'm the latter. If I'm going to watch a movie or read a book a second or third time, it will be only after several years have passed and my memory of it has faded. There are a few books - very few - which I'll re-read for the pleasure of the language. I'll watch musicals again and again to enjoy the music and dancing - the story is irrelevant. I simply can't imagine reading a book dozens of times, especially as there are so many other books out there, waiting to offer me a new adventure.

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  2. I was curious if you ever thought of changing the structure
    of your website? Its very well written; I love what youve got to say.
    But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could connect with it better.
    Youve got an awful lot of text for only having 1 or 2 images.
    Maybe you could space it out better?

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  3. Books are friends. They unflinchingly support you in times of trouble, take you out of the worries you might be having with their familiar (often loved) characters and situations.
    That said, I do like to discover new authors, especially in the Fantasy genre. But wherever I roam I'll always know my shelf of old favourites is waiting to help if I need it. ;)

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  4. I am also someone who loves to read a book to tatters.

    Nobody has objected to my habit in a while, because I'm home and quarantined, and my family also reads books repeatedly. :D

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