The A.V. Club asks:
Not counting books read in childhood—when our horizons tend to be pretty small and we love to read the same picture book or junior novel over and over—or books you’ve had to read for classes or professional purposes or whatever, what books have you voluntarily gone back and re-read most often?
Mine is, easily, "The Lord Of The Rings". I can't actually think of any others that I've re-read more than once. There are a handful that I've read twice, but usually I'm a one-and-done kindof guy. But LOTR is both long and enough and slow enough in parts that every time I read it I find things that I skipped over or just missed the last time.
You?
Depends what the “not counting books read in childhood” extends to — I reread “Cat’s Cradle” many, many times when I was in high school and college, probably sufficient times that it is still near the top of my list. More recently, I’ve reread Flannery O’Connor’s stories lots of times; Borges’ stories also — not sure if this counts since they are looking for “books” rather than stories. A lot of novels I’ve read two or three or four times, but I can’t think of one that stands out for sheer number of times since my Vonnegut phase.
I’ve read the Illuminatus! trilogy twice, but it feels like more because I habitually re-read select passages from it. That goes for several other books, really — I often revisit parts, usually looking for something specific, but it’s more rare to do a full start-to-finish reread.
Which reminds me that I’ve read a couple of Nietzsche’s books (The Gay Science and of course Also Sprach Zarathustra) twice, but certain passages in each I’ve read a dozen times. Those books really lend themselves to cherry-picking, because he wrote in short aphorisms.
Oh mercy, the AV Club allowed Keith Phipps to respond with The Dark Knight Returns. If we’re going to count comic books — and I don’t really think we should — I can name a bundle (most of which involve the names Alan Moore or Neil Gaiman).
I can’t count how many times I’ve read Joe Matt’s The Poor Bastard. He’s such a good storyteller.
those books really lend themselves to cherry-picking
Oh totally. I have not read Zarathustra but I’ve read the preface more times than I can count.
Same here, LOTR was my first grown up book and I’ve revisited it twice. The Terry Pratchett discworld novels hold up the 2nd time through and are now so numerous I’m certain I’ve forgotten most of them.
The hitchhiker’s series too. The first four books of the trilogy.
I feel like I’m forgetting something. Hmmm. I’ll probably think of it as I’m going to sleep.
The Lord of the Rings is definitely one I have read multiple times. My most re-read book though has to be The Hitchhikers Guide. I read the whole trilogy (of four or five books. Six if you count that new thing not written by Adams, which I don’t) every year from like age 14 until I was probably thirty.
I’ve actually read Atlas Shrugged twice. *shudder*
Books I have read multiple times include:
“The War of the Worlds” – H G Wells
“1984” – George Orwell
“The Road” – Cormac McCarthy
“The Stand” – Steven King
Re-reading Catch 22 every few months helped keep me sorta sane during my (drafted) hitch in the US Army.
The Left Hand of Darkness
Lord of Light
Snowcrash
Ringworld
Huckleberry Finn
Treasure Island
Two Years Before The Mast
Canoeing With The Cree
Second the nomination of The War of the Worlds
And The Lord of the Rings too, also, of course.
Books that you know that you’re going to re-read are good candidates for Kindle/Nook purchases. Because you can then be OK with all the DRM issues.
Funny, though. The Left Hand of Darkness is not yet available in an e-book edition, although LOTR is (of course.)
100% agreement on LotR. I believe I have read the trilogy through at least three times. It stays fresh! I know his writing could turn ponderous at times, but the overall thrust of the story, plus the incredible world the author created make it worth my time every time. Inventing languages!! And alphabets!!!! Too cool for school…my other multi-read favorite is 1984. Don’t ask…I’m beginning to think it is NOT a work of fiction.
Good call on Hitchhiker’s Guide by platosearwax. I was impressed that the second time around still made me laugh out loud. Literally laugh out loud, not like the kind they do on the internet.
joel hanes: The Left Hand of Darkness — very nice. I’ve only read it once, but I think my wife has read it eight times.
I did a book report on Catch-22 when I was in the 10th grade. My teacher, who was a first year teacher that year, was thrilled. I have read that book every 4 or 5 years since. Which means that I have read it at least 8 to 10 times.
Cris :
If you haven’t read much Ursula K. LeGuin, allow me to heartily recommend The Dispossessed, Planet of Exile, and The Telling, all three of which repay rereading.
LOTR is a wonderful series, but it cannot hold a candle to E.R.Eddison’s Zimiamvia trilogy. I’ve read it twice. Which may not sound like so much, but it’s dense.
Just remembered that I also read Kim Stanley Robinson’s ‘Mars’ trilogy a few times. Excellent books.