In support of re-reading! (discussion, nonfiction, great, plot)

[tulani]

I just remembered the bookplate I have in all of my favorite books:

"I enjoy sharing my books as I do my friends, asking only that you treat them well and see them safely home."

I can honestly say that every book with that bookplate HAS made it home safely. Can't say the same for other books with plain bookplates.

[Badger]

Originally Posted by banjomike

I re-read some books. I'm a big fan of Rick Bragg; his books on his family's history are so full of vivid description that I have read them several times. When I re-read, I sometimes just go to the parts I either didn't catch the first time, or the parts I enjoyed the most.
Right now, I am re-reading Moby Dick for the 3rd time, just a chapter or two at the most, and often with several days of no reading at all, and I'm enjoying the book more than I did when I was 14 and read it for the first time.

Before I began it this time, I read other material that was about the times and the whaling industry over the years, and that gave me a much deeper perspective on Moby Dick. And as I aged, I had read other books that gave me clues as to the period slang Melville used, and ways of writing, description and speech in Melville's day that have become extinct today. The background stuff has really helped increase my enjoyment of the book.

Watching the latest movie version of Moby Dick was what prompted me to go buy a copy and read it again. There have been at least 3 film adaptations of the book that I've seen, and none of them has come close to the book in my estimation. To read Moby Dick is to submerge one's self in another world and time. It reminds me of Shakespeare this time around.

awesome, most can't even read it once.

great idea to research the book, it's language and context, you'll get much more out of it. and because its' such a big book it's well worth it.

[banjomike]

Originally Posted by Jess5

I'm reading All Over but the Shouting right now! I just started it, and I'll be reading all of his (Rick Bragg) books. Next is Ava's Man. Which ones did you like best?
The reason you re read books is the only reason I see for doing that. I read Siddartha when I was about 13, and I've thought about reading that again because I would understand it more now. A lot of people had to read books in high school that they want to read when they become adults. I understand that.

I like the last book of the trio, The Prince of Frogtown the best, but only because it was obvious to me that it was the hardest for Bragg to write. It's about his father, and by the time you are finished with the one you're reading, you'll know why. It took an immense amount of courage and honesty for Rick to write it.

I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Bragg, and he thinks it's the best of them, too. he autographed my copy, which was pretty well worn. While I've read all of his books twice, the Prince has been one of my fave re-reads- I think I've read it 4 times now.


He's a cool guy; what you read is like how he is in person. I'm a Westerner from the heart of the Rockies, but I've spent time in the South.
He was very excited to be out here for the first time on a visit, and I was very excited to have a chance to meet him through a mutual friend. We found we had a lot in common.
I'm a wannabe writer, and the only one he met out here, and I think he appreciated talking from experience to me. Sharing a mutual appreciation of okra, salt-cured pork, savory grits and Southern ladies also helped.

We share some favorite authors- we are both huge Larry McMurtry fans, and we agreed that Lonesome Dove ranks with the top of the best American fiction ever written.
We are also big fans of True Grit. We have re-read both books many times. if you have read neither, I highly recommend them. True Grit can be read in one long sitting, but not Lonesome Dove.

it may be a while before we get another book from him. He thinks of himself as a news journalist first- he covered the early Iraq and Afghanistan wars in their beginning for the New York Times, where he worked for about 10 years. He said he's working now on his first novel, and writing fiction is hard and brand-new for him.

[banjomike]

Originally Posted by Badger

awesome, most can't even read it once.

great idea to research the book, it's language and context, you'll get much more out of it. and because its' such a big book it's well worth it.

I found that reading it in small bites is the best way to enjoy it for me. I found it was perfect for the times when I don't have much time to read. Even so, while I'm still reading it, I'm finding that I'm getting swept along now, and sometimes I'm reading more and more at one sitting. I did start another book, but it's now waiting for me to finish Moby. It's definitely getting more intense now, but it's still like chewing on a very tasty but tough steak.

When I was a kid, I didn't understand a lot of the book, but for me, it was cool to read about the whales, the sea, and all the other stuff that makes it difficult for modern adults to plow through. Moby Dick was written at a time when a lot of novels were intentionally written to be slow reads; they were read back then like people watch serial TV shows now. These days, we prefer to read books that grab us and we can finish much more quickly.

There's another topic thread here on Moby Dick- a reading group formed by some of us here who all started reading Moby Dick at the same time. I posted some of the contextual stuff on it, and you can find my posts if you go back a few months. The group petered out after a while because it's a big old book, but I may revive the thread when I finish.

[Jess5]

Originally Posted by banjomike

I like the last book of the trio, The Prince of Frogtown the best, but only because it was obvious to me that it was the hardest for Bragg to write. It's about his father, and by the time you are finished with the one you're reading, you'll know why. It took an immense amount of courage and honesty for Rick to write it.

I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Bragg, and he thinks it's the best of them, too. he autographed my copy, which was pretty well worn. While I've read all of his books twice, the Prince has been one of my fave re-reads- I think I've read it 4 times now.


He's a cool guy; what you read is like how he is in person. I'm a Westerner from the heart of the Rockies, but I've spent time in the South.
He was very excited to be out here for the first time on a visit, and I was very excited to have a chance to meet him through a mutual friend. We found we had a lot in common.
I'm a wannabe writer, and the only one he met out here, and I think he appreciated talking from experience to me. Sharing a mutual appreciation of okra, salt-cured pork, savory grits and Southern ladies also helped.

We share some favorite authors- we are both huge Larry McMurtry fans, and we agreed that Lonesome Dove ranks with the top of the best American fiction ever written.
We are also big fans of True Grit. We have re-read both books many times. if you have read neither, I highly recommend them. True Grit can be read in one long sitting, but not Lonesome Dove.

it may be a while before we get another book from him. He thinks of himself as a news journalist first- he covered the early Iraq and Afghanistan wars in their beginning for the New York Times, where he worked for about 10 years. He said he's working now on his first novel, and writing fiction is hard and brand-new for him.

How neat! I'm certainly glad I stumbled across him.l The only book that didn't really grab my attention was the one where he talked about the different places he went to report from. I can't remember the name of it.I just looked it up; its Somebody Told Me. Its about the stories he reported on.

[LookinForMayberry]

Originally Posted by tilli

I have found that every book I really enjoyed was even more interesting the second time through and that my understanding deepens with each subsequent re-read. Plus, it saves money! You'll never be able to read every book out there, so why not take a little more time to thoroughly explore one that you truly enjoyed? Give it a try sometime! Happy reading!

That might've been me, Tilli. Lord knows I've said it often enough. And, I totally understand what you are saying. Maybe when I grow up... I'm only 56, now -- still probably too full of myself.

[J Swarthout]

I just re-read Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut. I got so much more out of the book the second time around.

[JimRom]

I re-read my books constantly. And generally find something I either a) missed or b) forgot during previous reads.

To me, re-reading books is like sitting down and talking with old friends.

[TracySam]

Originally Posted by J Swarthout

I just re-read Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut. I got so much more out of the book the second time around.

I re-read all my Vonnegut books a little over a year ago (I have them all except 3 that I could not get, being out of print). I agree, you can read him over an over and get more from the experience each time!

[J Swarthout]

Originally Posted by TracySam

I re-read all my Vonnegut books a little over a year ago (I have them all except 3 that I could not get, being out of print). I agree, you can read him over an over and get more from the experience each time!

I haven't even read all of his books yet and I want to re-read the ones I have read.