Second Readings

Hey fellow bookworms,

I was wondering what people's opinions were on second readings of books. I was in a local bookstore a while back and I overheard a customer telling the owner he doesn't re-read books. I know books can be very time consuming, but people re-watch films that they love to analyze them. Perhaps it is because films do not require as much dedication as books, but there are books on my shelf that I want to re-read, but I currently haven't had the time because my library is consistently growing.

With that said, there are some books I do feel obliged to get a second perusal to because I think the material, themes, and concepts went over my head the first time around. Right now I am re-reading The Lord of the Rings because I want to have a stronger grasp of The Silmarillion (one of those aforementioned books that was difficult for me to grasp the first time around), and it got me thinking if people re-read books in their library or let them collect dust on the shelves like an accomplishment or trophy. I haven't read Lord of the Rings in about a decade, but I am enjoying it more than my first time around. I know there are some books that resonate so deeply with people that nothing can capture the essence of their enjoyment like the first time they read it (one book for me that accomplished this feat was The Magic Mountain), but even reading books that one might've grasped the first time around might open new and previously hidden insights they missed the first time.

To reiterate what I said, do you bookdragons (hehe...get it? Just my sense of humor) re-read novels for a deeper analysis or just to relish the prose and artwork of the author?

Cheers.