Books and People #1 : On Rereading, meeting people and the change

Do you reread books?

I love to reread books. unfortunately, it is not always possible to go back to my favourite texts considering time limitations.  But whenever possible, I try to. I have my reasons to love rereading.

I see rereading books as meeting people. When you meet someone for the first time, you may or may not approve of them. Or, may not concede at all. With every new encounter or interaction, the different layers of a person unfold. I think the same happens with books. You find different meanings every time you go back to already read books. and oh my, you may also find some gem of the lines that you missed in your first reading. In the case of people, this happens too. Don’t you agree?

Rereading can hit home. And if you have written your thoughts in between the pages, then ah! The experience is going to be better. Very much similar to being observant while meeting people.  Another aspect of it can be, rereading a book that you loved earlier and finding that it was problematic. What you have enjoyed as a teenager can be something that you do not believe in right now.  There are books like that. If you read them now, you may feel disgusted by the language used, or how important topics like mental health or sex education are disconcerted. So, this is another type of output of rereading. This surely isn't different in the case of people. The toxicity can be hidden behind the good layers but as you interact more, their truer self will show up.

"Books change as we do. "

But hey, I strictly believe that if you find something ‘problematic’, whether it’s a book or a person, leave it, forget reading or meeting again. Reread what makes you feel better. ( Except textbooks, lol. If you are a student, do not take my word).  

Lewis Buzbee says,

“Rereading a favourite novel first read 5, 10, or 20 years ago, is a measure of our travel, how far we've come; it's a way of visiting an earlier self.”

So, which book would you like to reread?