About a year ago, if we were in the middle of a conversation about books and our current reading life and you asked me if I was in the habit of rereading books, I probably would have thought that was a ridiculous question. Why would I ever want to reread a book, when there are so many books to read? This is a complete waste of time. In the past year, I have been persuaded otherwise. Now, I must say that not all books are created alike and some books are definitely not worth reading a second time. I would even venture to say that there are some books not even worth finishing. On the other side of that argument, there are many books worth rereading to discover the treasure you may have missed.
CS Lewis is probably one of my all time favorite authors. His thought provoking books will lead you on a journey into the world of literature he has created. The “Chronicles of Narnia” are an example of a book series that is worth rereading. The first time I was introduced to the world of Narnia, I was a child and I took considerable delight in the story that was set before me. Children enjoy the “Chronicles of Narnia” simply because its an amazing story. They are perhaps unaware of the deeper meaning embedded in the series, which you might see as an adult. CS Lewis once said “No book is worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally-and often far more-worth reading at the age of fifty and beyond.”
I started rereading the “Chronicles of Narnia” as a read aloud to my children. I am now convinced that everyone as an adult not just children should read the “Narnia” series. I loved the series as a child, but I loved it more as an adult. As a child, I enjoyed the story, but the deeper meaning of the text that the author was trying to convey went over my head. For example, there is this scene from the second book in the series called “Prince Caspian”. One of the main characters named Lucy and a lion named Aslan who is the King of the Kingdom are having a conversation. Lucy observes that Aslan has gotten bigger since the last time she saw him. Aslan’s response is “…every year you will grow, you will find me bigger”. I was sitting there reading this passage to my children and the meaning of this conversation caught me off guard as an adult. Aslan is allegorically a picture of Christ. As I grow in Christ, God becomes bigger in my life. As I understand who God is and what He is like, I understand more and more that He is the author of the impossible becoming possible. Reading this passage as a child did not have the same impact on me as an adult. I was slowly being persuaded that rereading might not be the waste of time I thought it to be.
I have recently joined a bookclub in the hope that it would help me expand my reading life. I am a creature of habit and reading the same type of books is a comfortable and easy place I don’t want to leave. The word “change” is a word I try to avoid instead of embrace. That being said, I knew I wanted to expand my reading life and a book club seemed like a motivating road to take. This month we read “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen. This was my third reading of “Pride and Prejudice”. I enjoyed the book even more the third time, compared to previous readings. When you reread a book, you are able to slow down and see observations that you might have missed before, because you are already familiar with the storyline.
There were some observations that I noticed in reading “Pride and Prejudice” that I hadn’t in previous reads. What stood out to me was the pride and prejudice of Elizabeth Bennet. She had always appeared to be the heroine in my mind with very little flaws. This time however, I noticed how she seemed to have a prejudice against the women that surrounded her. Elizabeth Bennet’s character is quite harsh on the women in her life. Her observations of their behavior leads you to see Elizabeth thinking she is better than the people that surround her. On previous reads, I had always thought the title reflected Elizabeth Bennet to having the “Pride” and Mr. Darcy having the “Prejudice”. This time I noticed that the title actually reflects many of the characters having both pride and prejudice throughout the entire novel. I realized that perhaps Jane Austen might have meant a broader meaning in the use of her title. This was only one of the many new observations that captured my attention. “Pride and Prejudice” was definitely worth rereading.
My final example is a recent short novella that I read by Fredrik Backman called “And Every Morning The Way Home Gets Longer and Longer”. The first time I read this book, I thought it was a pleasing story, but I didn’t quite understand the plot line. I decided to read it a second time due to the author’s poetic style of writing with this novella. The first time, I had rushed through, wanting to know what happened in the story. I decided I needed to slow down to perhaps capture more of the message that the author was trying to convey. I am so glad I made the decision to slow down. Slowing down was necessary with this particular book to understand the beauty of what Fredrick Backman was writing. After the second time of reading this novella, I thought it was a touching and beautiful story worth reading.
Rereading great books is a delightful practice that I have now incorporated into my reading life. There are some books worth taking your time to read again. Rereading allows us to slow down and see perhaps things we might have missed on the first time around. I think C.S. Lewis gives us a thoughtful perspective on rereading in the following quote:
“We do not enjoy a story fully at the first reading. Not till the curiosity, the sheer narrative lust, has been given its sop and laid asleep, are we at leisure to savor the real beauties.”- C.S. Lewis
What are your favorite books that you have reread?
Do you think rereading is a waste of time or do you enjoy it as part of your reading life?
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