Have you ever read a book more than once

[Andy Hamilton]

Depends if you include non fiction I have read much of my bookcase of selfsufficientish book loads of times!

I immediately thought "the hobbit" when I first read this post!

I do read all the time but rarely novels and when I do I devour them in a couple of days otherwise I will pick them up and put them down half way thorough. I have possibly read the start of high fidelity 5 times and have never got past page 121!

[ina]

Whilst going through my book case the other day I saw a few more repeat reads:

A.L. Kennedy - Everything you need
Annie Proulx - The Shipping News
Robert Tressel - The ragged trousered philantropists

And all the Jane Austen ones of course...

[theabsinthefairy]

Apart from the obvious Lord of the Rings, and Discworld which I have read and read over and over again, I collect various authors. But in order to start collecting I keep the first book by that author and re read a couple of times to see if I find more to it, and if it still grips me, and if it does I will keep it and start collecting others by the same auther and then reread those.

I treat those books like magazines - you know what is going to happen so you can pick them up and put them down as you like.

If I have a new book (usually via a bookswop event or because someone has kindly raided their local charity shop for books on my behalf before their visit) I will read it and if it is a struggle and I find I did not really enjoy it I will pick up one of my favourites for a re-read.

On the list are Ben Elton, Arthur C Clarke, Michael Moorcroft, Patricia Cornwell, Douglas Adams, Jeffrey Deaver, Tess Geritson, James Patterson, Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and so many others, that I am practically a library.

[mrsflibble]

I treat those books like magazines - you know what is going to happen so you can pick them up and put them down as you like.

Ah! in my house we call those "toilet books"

[Milims]

I'm glad it's not just me who can't understand the Hobbit and LOTR!
I've read the Little Prince many times - and I recently passed it on to my daughter. She gave it back to me with a note inside saying that it was her absolute favourite book and that her tears are on page 89! I guess it moved her as much as it did me - and still does. I hope that she will pass it on to her children too.
Another fave - again one I've shared with my children - is Just So stories
I also love Johnathon Livingston Seagull - I've read it and Chris has read it to me (he's very good at that sort of thing - he does a wonderful Terry Pratchet Death voice! )

I love sharing the books I read as a child with my children - like Miss Happiness and Miss Flower - the story of 2 Japanese dolls- that I read to them when they were small and my daughter read later by herself.

My fave dip-in-and-re-read-toilet-book is Kalil Gibrahn the Prophet.

Re-reading books is wonderful you find more in them each time and it's a real joy to share them with your children

[Bluemoon]

Whilst going through my book case the other day I saw a few more repeat reads:

A.L. Kennedy - Everything you need
Annie Proulx - The Shipping News
Robert Tressel - The ragged trousered philantropists

And all the Jane Austen ones of course...

Ooh, thanks, Ina. I'd forgotten all about 'The Shipping News', must drag it out and have another read.

[urbanwookie]

Just recently re-read Robert Pirsig's "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" for the umpteenth time.

Flann O'Brien's "The Third Policeman" - read it more times than I can remember.

[Lady Willow]

I will read a book again if I've really enjoyed it ... but there are just so many unread books to enjoy! So I try not to read them more than once, maybe twice.

BUT .... I've read the Hobbit many times, and the Lord of the Rings even more .. it's my favourite book ever. Interesting that so many of us Ishers have read it repeatedly.

[zigspider]

I have to admit that I still have my copy of the Hobbit from Primary school (That must be 1973/4) I "borrowed it" when I left.

Most of the books that I own (that I have bought) have been read multiple times. I always find something new that I have missed before.

Jerry

[ina]

Just recently re-read Robert Pirsig's "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" for the umpteenth time.

Flann O'Brien's "The Third Policeman" - read it more times than I can remember.

It's ages since I read both these - now where have they got to!

[Sharon]

I often dip back into books I have already read. I re-read Joan Barfoot's Gaining Ground every couple of years (woman leaves husband and family and sets up in a remote cottage, growing veg, chopping wood ...), also Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising which is set at Christmas time and is ideal for when the snow is thick on the ground. Mmmm, also Diary of a Provincial Lady by E. M. Delafield, which is a great laugh, Olivia Manning's The Balkan Trilogy, and the wonderful Ulverton by Adam Thorpe.