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Andreas asked this in a discussion of short story, but I thought I'd throw it out in a more general context.

Andreas wrote: "There are only very few books that I re-read - Tolkien's and Herbert's novels being the exception. There are too many stories and novels around that catch my attention that I'd consider "wasting" my time over a re-read. Especially if they are fresh in my mind.

What is your motivation to re-read instead of reading something new? Why do you do that when you could read something else instead"

Most of my re-reading is of series. When a new book comes out, I'll sometimes read the previous books in the series again.

I have one series I've re-read many times. Just bought books #46-52 in the series. :)

It depends on why I'm re-reading.

For instance- I have had classes in college want me to read the same book I read in high school. In that instance- I an reading to refresh myself on the finer points of the book. I know the plot and characters, but some of the finer things may have left me since I last read it.

But mostly I re-read to re-immerse myself in that world. I also find that I will pick up on things during that second or third reading that I may not have noticed the first time around.

The first time I read something is for the story. The next time is for detail. (And I have to like the story enough to want to read it again for detail. And even then- it can't be immediately after the first.) Anytime after that is just because I enjoy that world and want to revisit it.

I think Randy got my top pick, rereads for series, but sometimes I just need a comfort read. Work or life is too hectic for me to really concentrate on something new, but I want to escape with an old favorite. I often pick up on different details, as Natalie mentions, & that's a plus.

I've also found that the perspective of time has worked very well for other rereads. I first read To Kill a Mockingbird when I was Jem's age. Rereading it at Atticus' age made a great story even better.

Lately audio books have been working out great for me & I've reread quite a few books. The difference in the medium has really improved some. Orson Scott Card said he writes his books to be read aloud in one I've listened to recently. I have to agree that the story, an old favorite, was even better. (I'm not sure if it was Treason or Ender's Game.)

Of course, some rereads haven't gone well. Some books were great when I was younger, but now I wonder how I could stand it. The writing is sloppy, the plot trite, etc.. Sometimes books are just dated or I am. They were perfect for their time, but the world & attitudes have changed a lot since I started reading: The Cold War, Civil Rights, moon landing, Internet, & more. I've changed a lot, too. A teen doesn't see the world the same as a grandfather.

Jim wrote: "I've also found that the perspective of time has worked very well for other rereads. I first read To Kill a Mockingbird when I was Jem's age. Rereading it at Atticus' age made a great story even better."

I've often wondered if I would like those dreaded required reading books now. I do really think that a lot of them have to be discovered by the reader, rather than forced on you.

Jim's all too right - I find rereading a novel like visiting an old friend you haven't seen in a while. The two of you might have changed in the lapse, but you remember what brought you together in the first place. The reunion is to see if the old connection is still there, or even just to reminisce on the times when that connection mattered. Books and stories very much have lives of their own.

I reread when I grow nostalgic for a story, or like everyone else says, when a new installment to a series comes out. You really pick up on little things that you didn't notice before. It makes you appreciate all of the hard work that goes into making these worlds.

I've also grown quite fond of audiobooks! They are a truly fun and innovative way to experience something that has always been visual for me. Neil Gaiman usually does the readings for his own books, and even pushed "Neverwhere" into production on BBC radio as a drama - I hear it's his favorite medium. Honestly, I listened to World War Z and couldn't bring myself to read the book - it was so well cast and produced!

You might enjoy some of the dreaded required reading books or at least others by the author, Natalie. I was assigned The Red Pony by John Steinbeck THREE freaking times in high school. I hated it & therefore Steinbeck. It wasn't until my son read & got me to read Of Mice and Men that I got over hating poor Steinbeck's guts. I went on to read several other books by him & loved them. (No, I haven't tried rereading The Red Pony. I'm better, not cured.)
;)

Jim wrote: "They were perfect for their time, but the world & attitudes have changed a lot since I started reading: The Cold War, Civil Rights, moon landing, Internet, & more...."

On the other hand, sometimes that's the attraction. One re-read I did last year was the sequence: Starship Troopers, The Forever War, Armor, Old Man's War, and Stark's War. (3 of these were also group discussions, tho in different order.) These express an interesting, politically evolving view of military affairs, post- WWII, Vietnam, & Desert Storm.

I loved WWZ as an abridged audio book, Leo! Couldn't get into the book itself, though. Gaiman is a very good reader. I just finished listening to several of Clavell's Asian Saga (Dirk Struan is possibly my favorite heroic figure.) read by John Lee. Oh my! Fantastic! He made great books even better. On the flip side, I was eager to listen to The Man Who Would Be King and Other Stories, but they had some squeaky voiced gal reading it. Her attempts at Daniel & Peachy's voices were awful. Had to bag it.

For me, some books have more in them than you can see in just one read, like LOTR. There is a depth to them that ine just can't enjoy unless your read them again and I sometimes think people miss out on a lot in their rush to get to the next book, it is not always about how much you have read but what you take from what you have read. (That is a quote I read somewhere..more or less)

I also re-read books like the Discworld novels because there just aren't any more books out there and then the is the comfort re-reading of a very old friend for those times when you just want to pick up a book and not worry if you skip a page or two because every page is so well knowen.

There are also those books that are so good and that you get so caught up in that you get to the last page and just turn back to the beginning again.

Jim wrote: "You might enjoy some of the dreaded required reading books or at least others by the author, Natalie. I was assigned The Red Pony by John Steinbeck THREE freaking times in..."


And here I was thinking of going the other way. We had to read of Mice and Men, the Grapes of Wrath, AND the Pearl. So I was thinking of selecting something else, since I didn't like any of those. Perhaps I should avoid Steinbeck altogether?

Possibly, Natalie. I really liked The Moon Is Down which is about WWII occupation & resistance & his translation of Mallory's The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights. They're far different in subject from his Depression books. However, I've tried Dickens several times since high school & still hate his writing in any format. YMMV, of course.

Jim wrote: "Possibly, Natalie. I really liked The Moon Is Down which is about WWII occupation & resistance & his translation of Mallory's [book:The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights|93282..."

Yeah- maybe it's the Depression books that I don't like. I'll try something else and see if it's the subject or the writing style. Sometimes you don't know until you read something else. For instance- I generally like Fitzgerald, EXCEPT for As I Lay Dying. I can't stand that one. Also I like Dickens- with the exception of A Tale of Two Cities. That one can die in a fire, and I wouldn't even bat an eye. :D

I have to agree on re-reading for the sake of immersing myself once more into a world I love - or the characters, as is more often than not.

No desire to go through required readings from school again, though. I don't hate the titles, per se, I just have absolutely no interest in them.

Definitely a desire to revisit much loved worlds and characters. I'm usually mentally grumbling that the books shouldn't end (although to make the re tad list they generally have to end perfectly).

I don't keep track of re reads in my blog though (unless its a book group/read along book)

Bristol wrote: "I don't keep track of re reads in my blog though (unless its a book group/read along book)"

I do, but only if there wasn't an original read date on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ. It's too much work to go back and figure out when I read what. So if I re-read something already on my read list- I will use the newer read date for it.

I'll re read to refresh my memory when a new book comes out in a series, to visit old friends, or sometimes when I'm in a certain mood and want a book I know fits that mood.

Currently I'm re reading the Expanse books before starting Cibola Burn.

Some old friends - Pern, Dune, Belgariad, Friday, Valdemar, Anne Rice vampires, a couple of mystery series.

For certain moods - To Say Nothing of the Dog makes me laugh, Ready Player One for nostalgia, Dragon Prince for romance, The Black Company for when I want to kill someone :)

I do the same with movies.

Thanks for bringing up that topic of re-reading in school. In fact, I had to do this a couple of times with German literature, most notable 4 times Galileo. I learned a lot from those different perspectives. In contrast, I don't want to learn from or analyze e.g. Cyteen that deep - I get what I read from first pickup and that's it. I don't consider it necessary or worth it.

Some of you bring the sample of "visiting an old friend" - but I don't visit a friend to have the same talk again. Friends tend to say different things depending on the current situation. That is the one thing I have with reading (or listening or viewing) the same thing again: I know what will happen and in general I'm not that interested in grinding out the details. Because focusing on those would mean that I can't read stuff that would bring me something new (and might be better or worse, who knows!).
That tradeoff isn't worth it for me in nearly all of the cases.

Refreshing memories in a series read - my current sample would be Words of Radiance which I liked very much. I forgot a couple of things and read some 100 pages into the predecessor. It was enough, memory came up pretty fast and I laid it down, switched to some Sanderson-wiki, read another hour and got more refreshment than I needed.
That is replacing the waste of having to read through the whole thing again.

Basic reason might be that I'm a very impatient person. Books (on paper or audio) are always a heavy investment and I'm always looking forward finishing them or "checking them off". It might be my competitive side: There are so many books around that people consider worth reading that everytime I re-read, I know that I won't be able to read one of those. Which would be a shame.

It's hard to find a book that means a lot to me, and when I do, I'll read it again, several times. A worthwhile experience, because you can't possibly notice everything on a single read, and because it still moves me or means to me, way ahead of those other contenders for attention. How unlikely am I to find a significant book in a new one? so I hoard those I've found. Besides I have the fundamental attitude that any book worth reading once is worth reading twice.

G33z3r wrote: "On the other hand, sometimes that's the attraction. One re-read I did last year was the sequence: Starship Troopers, The Forever War, Armor, Old Man's War, and Stark's War...."

That's a perfect sequence, the order I read them in save for the last. I haven't read it. Is "Stark's War" a serious book or kind of tongue-in-cheek?

Bryn wrote: "...Besides I have the fundamental attitude that any book worth reading once is worth reading twice. "

That's a good attitude. My gut reaction was to limit it to 4 & 5 star reads, but then I realized there are a lot of candy-reads that are worth rereading after a decade or so have passed. Candy-reads are quick, entertaining, but not particularly memorable. Stark's Parker & Harris' Sookie books are good examples. I usually give them 3 stars because they're better than OK - they're fun! - but they have no redeeming qualities other than entertaining me.

I don't think I'd reread a 2 star or less book, save in the case of a classic that I wanted to give another chance or needed information from. I recently listened to The Great Gatsby & gave it 2 stars. It was one I'd been forced to read in HS & didn't like, but a lot of friends were discussing it with the movie & all. Seemed like it was worth trying again in a different format.

C.S.Lewis's Narnia books never get old, and I never grow out of them, even though I first read them in about 1960. And although I haven't re-read LOTR for years on the page, I am usually somewhere in the middle of re-listening to the complete audio book, and I interleave it with the excellent BBC Radio 4 dramatisation from the early 80s.

I also re-read Tom Holt from time to time; I have a great affection for his humour and style of writing. I also sometimes re-read Pratchett, though not the very early Discworld books like 'Colour of Magic', because they now seem to me rather tedious.

Natalie wrote: Also I like Dickens- with the exception of A Tale of Two Cities. That one can die in a fire, and I wouldn't even bat an eye. :D

Totally agree. Dickens is usually very entertaining, but I tried listening to 'Tale of Two Cities' as a complete audio book, and it nearly robbed me of the will to live.

I am quite good at forgetting books well enough to enjoy even some of the plot points again. I reread comics, plays, short stories and poems all the time but novels less so.

I could go a whole year and not do any rereading of novels but there are some old favorites such as:-

jane austen, Jack Vance, Mervyn Peake, Caitlin Kiernan, House of Leaves, Natsume Soseki, Peter S Beagle, Jeffrey Ford, Dune, The Worm Ourobos, Zelaznys Amber books....

That I will certainly reread several times over the next decade or so.

I do find sometimes a book can scratch a particular itch and lead to a reread such as Lord of the Rings. I would never say that was my favorite book but it is a book I have reread a few times. Equally I could see myself rereading some easy reading books that just suit the mood I am in. They might not be that special but if tired they might be the perfect book for the mood I am in. Just as I will rewatch some not so great films.

Jim wrote: "G33z3r wrote: "Starship Troopers, The Forever War, Armor, Old Man's War, and Stark's War...."

That's a perfect sequence, the order I read them in save for the last. I haven't read it. Is "Stark's War" a serious book or kind of tongue-in-cheek?..."

No, "Stark's War" isn't really in the same class as the others. It is more narrowly focused and unsubtle (calling something unsubtle next to those other books is something, too!) It's Hemry's gripes about the current US military played out on the moon.

For a couple decades I re-read The Hobbit and LOTR every year! Now I go back to it from time to time (like when the movies came out) and it's like meeting an old friend (or lover?). In the 21st century I try to do my first read of anything on my Kindle. If I really like the book and feel I might re-read it in the future I spring for a printed book. If I LOVE it I'll go for the hardcover first edition, if there is one and it's not too expensive. I feel a re-read is best done with a physical book.

I reread books for a number of reasons.

Its been so long, I forgot much of the story. For example, I just picked up a copy of Asimov's Foundation becuase its been decades since I last read it, and I have only the most hazy recollection of the storyline.

In a somewhat related reason, I will sometime reread a series when a new book comes out, just to be sure I'm up to date on everything that's happened so far. I just got a new October Daye novel the other day, and I'm going back and forth between rereading the whole series first or just jumping into the new book.

I just love the books so much. I've read The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings so many times, I practically know them by heart. That does not prevent me from rereading them every year or so.

The book was just that good. Some books were just so good, the characters so real or the setting so amazing or the storyline so facinating that I just want to go there again. I think Dune, Ringworld, and the Amber series fall in this catagory. Many times, the second or even third time I reread a book I'm still picking up things I missed the first time.

i re-read books, not often,but for a variety of reasons..

ive a mind like a sieve due to past illness so i can forget plots quite easy, though when i do start re-reading i remember parts and often i get more out of it second time around.

If i love a book, a 5star i will probably re-read. I love my older 50/60s scifi so re-read that often. Clarke, Wyndham, Herbert, Bester etc

Im willing to re-read a book if ive not finished it first time or if ive not liked it and my mate recommends it. I enjoyed The Scar when i first read it but preferred Perdido Street Station. On re-reading i prefer The Scar. I never enjoyed Kraken but after my mate moaning at me i re-read it and loved it.

I reread books I like for a couple reasons. One is the stress reason--it is an opportunity to disappear into a familiar place where I don't have to work out the plot or relationships. I just enjoy it. The books I reread have characters I enjoy and are well written enough to satisfy me. I also reread series like others have mentioned. And sometimes I just haven't had time to go to the library, have a few hours, and I pick up whatever is lying around close at hand and strikes my fancy at that time.

I almost never reread, why then do I own books?
I have not idea.....

Kathy wrote: "I almost never reread, why then do I own books?
I have not idea....."

*laugh* Because they make great decorations, and declarations of your reading adventures! ^_^

It turns out I recently read Scalzi's latest novel, Lock In, 3 � count them 3 � times (and it's only been out for a month.)

Why would I do such a thing? Is it the best book ever? Is it too complicated to understand on one reading? Was I stranded on an island with just one book? Or, am I simply crazy? To find the answer, you'll have to check out my spoiler comments in our discussion of Lock In to learn why! :)

I only keep books that I'm planning to reread. I always find details I missed the first time around.

When browsing the bookstore or library, sometimes Sturgeon's Law has taken hold with a vengeance. "90% crap" is too low a judgement.

So, rereading a book is like going to your favourite restaurant and finding it closed for renovations. It's either go home and warm up some leftovers or starve.

And sometimes, those leftovers are darn tasty the second day.

I used to re-read stories for the comfort and nostalgia of it. As I've grown older I've found a certain satisfaction in reading previously beloved stories in order to see how different they are to my more experienced eyes. Sometimes I find that they are nowhere near as enrapturing now as then. More often though I find that I gain an entirely new appreciation for the work, and find new lessons to learn from and sides of seemingly familiar arcs. I think that is one of the greatest marks of a truly great tale: that it grows and evolves with you throughout your life, even if the words themselves stay static.

Chris wrote: "I used to re-read stories for the comfort and nostalgia of it. As I've grown older I've found a certain satisfaction in reading previously beloved stories in order to see how different they are to ..."

I agree completely.

I reread works that seem opaque or difficult (late Joyce, for example) but the most rewarding re-read is of my favorite author, Gene Wolfe... Because you actually figure out things you never realized before as the patterns settle in. I would re-read a book if I were going to finish a series and hadn't read the first book or two in years (malazan) or some artistic short stories like the better ones of Zelazny or Sturgeon.

Gene Wolfe, though, always rewards re-reading and careful thought.

I tend to reread books a lot. The Harry Potter series being one of those. i re read things when i feel like there's more to it or something i missed, i also reread just for the pleasure of falling in love with the story all over again.

Both my wife and my son love to have me read to them. So I've gone back to read aloud some of the books that I enjoyed so much the first time. Some of them aged well (Lord of the Rings trilogy, Belgariad), and some not-so-well (Dragonlance series), but it's an enjoyable experience sharing those stories with my family.

I do occasionally re-read a book just for myself, but it's not very often. I did re-read The Lies of Locke Lamora this year, and last year re-read Space Vikings (H. Beam Piper), but the vast majority of my personal reading is new.

I choose to reread for a few reasons...

first being the warm slightly fuzzy feeling of nostalgia.

Second would be if I had a particular hard time reading the book when I first started adding cracks to the spine.

Lastly I would reread a book to reeducate myself on a series if a new volume had come out. (The Dark Tower and Harry Potter comes to mind.)

I re-read what I have loved. What has stirred me, what has touched me and what has made me into what I feel is a better person for it.

(Having said that, I'm not sure where Frank Herbert's Dune fits into this, but I have read it far too many times.)

The books I like the most get read over and over because they resonate with what really makes me tick so to speak. Only really good books with a lot of depth to them so you get something new out of them each time you read them, or if they move you immensely you re read to experience that again.

Jim wrote: "Of course, some rereads haven't gone well. Some books were great when I was younger, but now I wonder how I could stand it. The writing is sloppy, the plot trite, etc.. Sometimes books are just dated or I am. They were perfect for their time, but the world & attitudes have changed a lot since I started reading: ..."

Very true. I read The Sword of Shannara when I was a young teen and thought at the time it was better in some ways then the Lord of the Rings, but I read it now and it has way too much unnecessary back story and other things I think the author wouldnt put in now, but at the time people wanted something to match The Lord of the Rings in depth etc. So perfect for its time...

I re-read because I have little interest in new writing, and too much interest in what I love already.

When I was younger I would constantly re-read my books to the point where even a book I considered mediocre would be read at least twice.
Part of it was the simple fact that good books were harder to find in those days. another factor was my tendency to get hooked to a series and want to read everything pertaining to it over and over.
However nowadays I rarely re-read anything, not even books that I really loved, for there are so many new books still waiting out there

I re-read a lot. Usually books I am really comfortable with. I guess partly it is because I have such a bad memory it's almost like reading it fresh.

Every 5 years or so I sit back down and re-read A Wrinkle In Time, Blue Moon Rising, and usually one or two series I finished previously.

I'll reread novels because it is like visiting with old friends. Herbert's "Dune" series is worth a second or third read. And for the longest time I would read The Hobbit, LOTR and The Silmarillion, every if not every other year.

I've found that most of my rereading occurs when I'm bored with the current crop of releases or bored of a particular genre. For example if I find my self getting bored with fantasy, I'll read a thriller I found enjoyable. Also I tend to reread if an author releases a new edition of a book, just to see what changes they've made. Like others, I find my self rereading entries in a series whenever a new book is released. For example, I always seem to reread the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher whenever he brings a new one out.

I reread all of Samuel R. Delany in college to write my senior thesis paper. While I was working on my masters degree in nutrition, I reread all of my Three Investigators books from when I was a kid, bought and read all the ones I didn't have already, reread all of my Hardy Boys books and started collecting and reading Nancy Drew. I did this because that's all my brain could handle after studying biochemistry for a few hours.

Beyond that, the only rereading I have done other than Dhalgren has been to discuss a book with a group, either here on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ or with an off line book discussion group. I'm rather surprised this reason hasn't come up in the thread before now.

I've started re-reading things because of my OCD. I like having a 'date read' for everything I have read, so I've been going back and re-reading them.

And no- I can't just pick a date- that would be cheating. :)