I have been caught up in a frenzy of re-reading lately, which I confess is why my book review section has been a little thin. When I looked back over my last few reviews I cringed to see so many negative or lukewarm reviews. It made me feel like a horribly picky or pessimistic person who can’t find the joy in anything. It’s not true! We all have slumps, don’t we?
It is precisely on the heels of such a slump that I tend to reread. I’m falling back into my comfort zone and seeking a familiar friend. I’m not taking risks.
Oh, I’ll take more risks soon! How boring would life be without giving a few new things a chance? But today, I’m reading Blue Skies by Catherine Anderson for the third time. It’s the story of Carly Adams, a woman blind from birth, suddenly blessed with her vision and then, just as suddenly, finds it slipping away again. In chapter one, the naive woman is pursued and seduced by cowboy Hank Coulter during her first trip to a country and western bar. He’s drunk and she falls for his corny lines. Luckily for her, Hank isn’t as big a jerk as he seems that first night, and things work out for the two of them. I like Carly’s determination. I like that Hank is an honestly nice guy. I’m drawn into the world of a visually impaired women because I, too, am visually impaired. I know what’s going to happen next, and I don’t care. I’m willing to relive it.
There is an art to rereading that I have discovered over time. Not every book is a candidate for rereading, and it doesn’t have anything to do with its initial rating. Some of my favorite rereads are three-star wondering: Fluff books that nevertheless maintain their appeal again and again. On the other hand, I’ve read five-star books I would never want to read again, despite how amazing they were the first time.
Knowing which books to reread is the first trick to the art. Strangely enough, memorable isn’t always the best qualification. I like to reread books I vaguely remember enjoying or finding entertaining, but with details that elude me. I recently reread a series of books by Tracy Ann Warren that fit this bill perfectly — three-star reads all. I knew going in that I would like but not love them, and that was okay.
I actually reread romance more than any other genre for this very reason. I find many of the stories so similar anyway that the details of any individual books (unless it’s a real standout like Blue Skies), tends to slip through my fingers.
Well-loved books need more time before they can be reread. It needs to have been long enough that some of the details become blurry, and the emotional connection slips back to, “Yeah, I remember loving that book.” I had a terrific time rereading most of Judith McNaught’s collection of books after 16 years (I read them the first time as a teenager). I enjoyed them afresh, almost as a new person myself. I plan to reread several of her books again over the next few years.
Then, of course, there are the ones you’ve reread so many times you’ve just about memorized them, ie Harry Potter. “The Dursleys of #4 Privet Drive were happy to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much….” I haven’t read this series since the last movie came out, and I think, if I want to truly enjoy it again, I will need to wait a decade or so. Perhaps I can enjoy them with my kids.
So, to summarize:
1. Rereading is a mood, not just an action.
2. Rereadability is not directly related to your initial rating of a book.
3. To get the most out of a reread, allow the right amount of time to pass — less for those fluffier, forgettable books, more for the ones that completely stole your heart.