Rereading a Book

 Some time ago I wrote about whether it was better to read more than one book at a time.  Today, I want to discuss whether it is ever worthwhile to reread a book other than the sheer pleasure you get from it.  That’s assuming, of course, it’s your choice and not an assignment.  But why would you reread a book for any other reasons except for pleasure or an assignment?

One of the first reasons I can think of, especially for fiction, is that you can’t remember the ending.  For that matter, you can’t remember much at all about it.  You just know that you did read it before and decide to read it again.  I did that recently.  I reread a novel set right at the end of WW2 about an American Army officer assigned to investigate reported murders of two German civilians (the book had the imaginative title of “The Investigating Officer”).  I remembered vaguely some details and kind of remembered the ending.  As I read the story, however, I found that I missed or forgot many things that should have stayed with me.  This morning as I sat in my loft thinking about today’s writing, I began to remember this story.  Guess what?  I have lost many details again!  Why?  It was a very enjoyable book and I thought very well written.

Another reason for rereading fiction is if it is a series and you have lost the thread of the earlier books, forgot characters and plots, and need to bring things up-to-date.  I find myself doing that often, especially when a favorite author hasn’t published in a while.

As for nonfiction books, rereading is rather a necessity if you have forgotten much of it, regardless whether you enjoyed it or not.  I find that I take more notes with them than I do with fiction.  I think that’s obvious.  Why then do people reread a nonfiction book?  Essentially for the same reasons they do for fiction – they can’t remember things and what to for whatever.  My guess is that it is probably easier to read a fiction book a second time than it is a nonfiction book. There's just too much information you will want to remember the second time you read a nonfiction book.

I think in the end the real reason people reread a book is that they enjoyed it the first time (or last time if they have read it several times by now), and want to experience it again.  That is why I reread them.

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