I have to admit that I read the Woman in Black by Susan Hill at least every year, but why? I know the ending, I know each twist and turn of the story, and I know when the ghost appears. Is it the security of knowing what will happen? Are we turning into a society of re-readers? Are we frightened to embark upon new reading pastures? For me with The Woman in Black it’s the appreciation of a good read, which in my opinion is a ghost story not to be bettered. It’s the effective use of tension and a well-crafted but succinct storytelling, which I hope to emulate in my own writing one day.
Books on Female First
When asking around, I was interested which books came top of the pile in re-reads. Harry Potter was something that had many a mention. For this it was for the excitement of the read, as opposed to the revelations, as the reader knew what was coming but, Rowling achieves the addictiveness in her writing that appeals to people a second, third or even seventh time!
Sometimes we re-read for clarification. We may have read a book on our holiday and been distracted by other things or read it late at night when all we wanted to do was sleep. We did not take in everything as we should, so we read it again. In particular, books that are a finale in a series, such as Breaking Dawn, need more concentration than others to wrap up all the threads that have run throughout the other books.
Autobiographies of comedians were a popular choice to go back to and relive the giggles. The Michael McIntyre autobiography was one that had a mention, simply because it gave the reader such pleasure the first time. Just like watching a re-run of one of their DVDs.
Such familiarity with our favourite books means we may fall into the habit of skim reading what we know is there, as opposed to reading it with such intensity as we did the first time. One reader admitted to swapping the Harry Potter reading to listening to the audio book to let Stephen Fry do all the hard work instead, however still taking in all the pace of the book.
It is admittedly harder to read a book in the time you would watch an episode of a TV programme or a movie, unless you are Johnny 5. Perhaps in such familiarity with a book we seek out the most appealing parts and re-read those with more ferocity and skip the part we thought were a little weak or boring the first time.
Novels with great amounts of detail, may require another read, such as Tolkien, where each person or thing is described in such intricate detail, it sometimes does not go in the first time.
I suppose re-reading a book has the same comfort as throwing on your favourite movie, you know what going to happen, but it’s the security of this that is the appeal. We are in control of the outcome and sometimes this is just what we need to cheer ourselves up given life's unpredictability.
When we read we can often find something we missed the first time, even if we believe we have read it with our undivided attention. Talented writers can achieve this; Harry Potter was brought into conversation again for this reason.
We often read for easiness. If we have an intense job that requires a lot of our time and attention, sometimes reading something a little more light-hearted can do the trick. Harry Potter fulfilled this criteria for adults, as the easiness of the read contributes to the excitement of the act of picking it up again.
Sometimes we thoroughly enjoy books, however they can be so much of an undertaking, the idea of reading it again appeals but the time do it simply doesn’t. Shantaram, by Gregory David Roberts was included in the category, as well as Lord of the Rings.
Classics, such as Jane Eyre, are undoubtedly some of the most re-read books in history. Books that work far ahead of their time such as this and the love of the characters filter through each generation. Many an adaptation on the TV or in the movies supports the love of the original text.
So whatever the reason for you opening your favourite novel for another entertainment, it’s reassuring to know that we can rely on these in times of need and absorb ourselves in someone else’s life for a little while if ours is not going the way we want, without any nasty surprises.
Female First Lucy Walton