The Vitality of Re-reading

"There are books full of great writing that don't have very good stories. Read sometimes for the story... don't be like the book-snobs who won't do that. Read sometimes for the words--the language. Don't be like the play-it-safers who won't do that. But when you find a book that has both a good story and good words, treasure that book." ― Stephen King

Stephen King wears a T-shirt that reads: Quot libros, quam breve tempus (So many books, so little time.)  King re-reads Lord of the Flies and Lord of the Rings as well as Robert Penn Warren's All the King's Men. He returns often to Double Indemnity by James M. Cain.

I re-read a book every five or ten years to notice how I've progressed in my taste and understanding of the writer. With books that never appealed, I also attempt to figure out why. When re-read, stories unfold new layers and impressions. They appeal to the current me or still do not capture my attention.

During an internet search, I rediscovered a book that made an impression during childhood. Mice on Horseback by Susan Tweedsmuir provided a magical experience back then. When it arrived from the British bookstore my heart pounded. I held it to my nose and ran my fingers over the cover. What joy I felt to enter its world once again.

Books on tape provide another dimension Recently, I listened to a book tape of Wallace Stegner's Angle of Repose. I have re-read the novel many times over the years to study the language. In this reading, the narrator provided another taste of that classic novel.

Make a list of favorite books from the past. If you read them today how would they inform the "current you"?