Friday 1 February 2013

February's 365/30: 2/28 What books have you read more then once (for pleasure)?

2. What books have you read more then once (for pleasure)?

I adore books, and continue to buy them despite owning a kindle. There's something about those tight bundles of paper stamped with ink that makes me happy. That said; I find it hard to revisit them.

Once I've read something, that's it; the book becomes a beautiful trophy of my triumph over the English language.

I worry that, if I return to a book, it will taint my original experience of the story. Reading a much loved children's book as a sudo-adult could remove all the magic it once had. Like watching the Harry Potter films after growing up reading them; a little part of you dies.

I will on occasion however, revisit books I've failed to complete on my first attempt. Bram Stoker's Draccula being one of them. I was far too young for it the first time round, but thoroughly enjoyed it once I had developed an iota of perseverance. The Hitch Hikers Guide to The Galaxy is another collection which took me two attemps to complete.

If I were to return to any book, Hitch Hikers would be it. There's so much in the series that's easy to miss or miss understand. It probably needs three or more reads to get even half of everything! Very clever man that Douglas Adams.

One book I probably should go back to is The Hobbit. I attempted to read it when I was 11, getting about a quarter of the way through before deciding it wasn't for me. Though unfinished, The Hobbit means a lot to me. It was the book I used to silence the teachers who believed that a child who couldn't spell couldn't possibly read, or even have a brain worth nurturing (how that school is still open I'll never know). It was possibly the first point in my life where I first said "nuts" to what educators said I can and can't do! Even when youre 11, no one has the right to hold you back or tell you you're not good enough.

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