I decided not to totally give up on "Tropic of Cancer." After throwing my tantrum over the weekend about how much I hated it, I picked it up again with the thought that if this is considered a classic, it must have more merit other than lewd sexual scenes and sloppy run on's. So far, I haven't found it but I don't think I'm going to throw in the towel just yet. What I have decided to do instead, is alternate reading it with something much more fun and enjoyable. So, as I threatened in my last post, I am re-reading the Harry Potter series. (if these books are not considered classics yet, they will be in the future, guaranteed.) I will admit, I am a bit of a Harry Potter nerd. Yes, I did buy the 7th book at the crack of dawn on the day it came out. No, I did not put a toilet seat cover over my head and go as Moaning Myrtle to the bookstore. I'll leave it up to you to decide where I stand on the nerd spectrum.
A lot of people ask me how I can read a book more than once. They think there is no point in re-visiting a story you already know the ending to. I say nay nay. There is so much value to re-reading a good story! For one, you miss a lot of nuances the first time around. During an initial read, I am so concentrated on the actual story that I miss some amazing character quirks or beautiful descriptive passages. I love to go back and really spend time soaking up the writing. Great characters feel like good friends. Opening a beloved book for the second or third time is like the smell of apple pie baking in the oven, a cup of tea by a warm fireplace or the crack of sunshine after the rain. Beautiful, familiar, homey things that will never let you down. There is a certainty in this that rarely shows up in real life. For instance, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Harry Potter will live to defeat Voldemort, Holden Caulfied will forever hate the world and Jay Gatsby will always have a green light shining for Daisy Buchanan. These are all knowns in my world and how often in this life can you grab onto absolute certainties?
If these are not good enough reasons to read a favorite book, a second or even a 3rd time, I don't know what is. Try it - go visit an old friend. I guarantee you will not regret it.
A lot of people ask me how I can read a book more than once. They think there is no point in re-visiting a story you already know the ending to. I say nay nay. There is so much value to re-reading a good story! For one, you miss a lot of nuances the first time around. During an initial read, I am so concentrated on the actual story that I miss some amazing character quirks or beautiful descriptive passages. I love to go back and really spend time soaking up the writing. Great characters feel like good friends. Opening a beloved book for the second or third time is like the smell of apple pie baking in the oven, a cup of tea by a warm fireplace or the crack of sunshine after the rain. Beautiful, familiar, homey things that will never let you down. There is a certainty in this that rarely shows up in real life. For instance, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Harry Potter will live to defeat Voldemort, Holden Caulfied will forever hate the world and Jay Gatsby will always have a green light shining for Daisy Buchanan. These are all knowns in my world and how often in this life can you grab onto absolute certainties?
If these are not good enough reasons to read a favorite book, a second or even a 3rd time, I don't know what is. Try it - go visit an old friend. I guarantee you will not regret it.
Comments
Post a Comment