1/26/2025 0 Comments Old Friends![]() Re-reading a favorite novel is like visiting an old friend. There's a comfort level similar to sipping a hot cup of tea on a cold day. Why read an old favorite when there are so many new novels? That is a problem. "Too many books, not enough time" is true. Most of us have "real life" to attend to, cutting into our reading time. Reader Lisa Varner rediscovered the classics, but also the value of rereading. "Most of us don’t need convincing that we ought to read more excellent books, but I suspect fewer of us have experienced just how deeply moving it may be to reread a title that we loved in the past, as well as to reread those whose impact we missed before." The Precious Value of Rereading Books. Not all novels stand up to re-reading. For me, the complexity of the plot, clever wordplay, or engaging characters can bring me back for a second read. Even though you know what's coming, you might notice new details. Or you wish to simply return to a delightful world, whether a small town, fantasy setting, or historical era. I recently re-read Malice (Detective Kaga #1) by Keigo Higashino. The plots in Higashino's detective novels have unexpected twists and turns, and I enjoy "visiting" modern Japan when I read his books. Typically though, if I reread a novel, it's classical literature. Moby Dick was an assigned reading in college. I needed to reread it at a more leisurely pace, to truly enjoy the novel. I've reread Jane Eyre, and I'm returning to Jane Austen's world with Pride and Prejudice. My husband hasn't read The Lord of the Rings, so I am rereading it aloud when we go on long drives. One benefit of the classics is living for moments in times free from modern clamor. No cell phones. No social media doom-scrolling. Reading slows the pace of life. What novels have you reread? Did they hold up a second time?
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