Re-reading books | Discussion Post

Yes, you heard it right! I am (finally!) doing my first ever discussion post. The idea and topic for this post just popped in my mind today, and impulsive as I am, I began writing this.

I have never attempted a discussion post before, and I have also read very few discussion posts by other bloggers. So I am writing this with zero experience, and would be more than happy to get some suggestions and advice from all of you 😊.

Okay, so the title is pretty self explanatory. Rereading. We all reread books once in a while don’t we? Some more than others. Rereading, as the name suggests, simply means reading a book you have already read in the past. Through this post, I will be discussing the pros and cons of re-reading and my own personal opinion on it. Let’s see how it goes!

It helps us in re-uniting with old favourites. Suppose there’s this book you loved. You read it two years back, and can’t stop gushing about it ever since. But as time goes on, you can’t really remember what exactly it was about that book that appealed to you so much. That’s when re-reading comes to the rescue. Once again you get to connect with the characters, and delve deep into the story.

It gives us a fresher perspective on a book that we may not have liked that much. This happens all the time to me, especially when I re-watch movies. If you give a book you didn’t quite like another try, who knows, you might come to appreciate the story! Even if you liked a certain book, re-reading it will allow you to notice new elements that you probably didn’t when you read the book earlier.

If we want to review a book we read quite some time back, re-reading is very much preferred. As I said before, re-reading gives a new perspective, and more importantly, all the events of the book will be clear in our mind when we are reviewing it. Reviewing a book you’ve read a long time back usually does not do justice to the book, unless you have a very good memory (unlike me!)

If you’re looking for big reveals in the book, you probably shouldn’t re-read. This is always the reason I sometimes hesitate to re-read a book. Re-reading a thriller, or just any book with big secrets, is like knowing the future. What’s the fun if you already know what is going to happen next?

Re-reading can sometimes become tedious. When I read a book for the first time, the length usually doesn’t matter. I just want the story to go on and on. But if we are re-reading a book, the book somehow feels endless. This is primarily because we know the events that are going to take place, and it always feels like major part of the book is still left.

Re-reading a book can never be the same as reading it for the first time. Obviously. This is quite self-explanatory. The thrill of reading a book you have never read before is pretty unique, and the connect you make with the story and the characters for the first time you’re introduced to them is very different from the opinion you have of them when the story ends.

No. I am not very fond of re-reading, because I am one of those looking for unexpected twists, shocking betrayals, and surprising alliances in every book I read.

But I do occasionally re-read short stories, or old comics, as for some reason I find them enjoyable. Though some of the (kinda lame) comic stories that I re-read make me wonder how I could have possibly laughed so much over them in my childhood. Anyway, it makes old memories come back, so I am fine with it.

But I don’t think i have ever reread a full size novel, it just feels too intimidating!

And we are done! Whew! How did y’all like my first discussion post? What views do you have on re-reading? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!!