I’ve been working hard for the past five years to complete my PhD whilst working part-time and volunteering once a week. I have a family that makes demands of my time. Fitting in reading for pleasure is way down in that priority list. So when I do read these days it’s got to be good.
There have been quite a few times where I have abandoned a book just mere pages or a chapter into it. Some of these books are by top authors. They just didn’t hold my attention. Films, box-sets and even video games have been getting the same treatment too. So where in this do I justify re-reading something?
Life is short and I rather spend my remaining time on the world doing worthwhile things. Can anyone make a case for reading, watching or playing an old favourite again?
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Normally I find I can’t justify rereading books, as there are just too many new ones I intend to read and never get to. But lately I’ve been rereading some old favourites that I haven’t read in decades because I needed something I knew I would like, after a number of ones that weren’t that great. It’s proven to be a good choice. Other people have mentioned that rereading books allows them to pick up details they didn’t notice the first time when they were too focused on “what happens next”.
As for rewatching tv stuff, I have a tendency to do that a lot. Especially with certain series. I find it comforting to rewatch shows with my favourite characters in them. Sometimes it has proven to be an essential part of my self care routine. And I have noticed the same effect of noticing things in subsequent watches that are missed in the first one because you’re so wrapped up in the drama of it all. It can also be quite interesting to go back to early episodes of a long running series (or old series that haven’t been on in years) and suddenly discover that an actor who’s become famous in the intervening years was in the series, and you didn’t remember (or they weren’t notable at that point in time). Sometimes it’s just nice to know what the story’s going to be so that you can find comfort in the familiarity. (Much like kids like to hear the same story read to them over an over again). I think much of the same arguments could be made for rewatching movies as I made for rewatching tv episodes. I just don’t do it as much.
I think the reason I’m more likely to rewatch something than reread it is because tv episodes are shorter and take less time. 😂.
I rewatched Community twice and the Fresh Prince a bunch of times. I agree with you though about the sense of comfort you get from revisiting old fictional haunts.
When I’ve been struggling to enjoy my reading, I will totally go back to something I know I enjoyed. There’s one series I’ve gone back to several times over the last few years because everything I do, I get the same feels and that’s what I’m there for. Being familiar with it, I can skip through the “boring bits” (not really, but there are certain scenes/feelings I’m there for, you know?).
Books are almost like time capsules in that way, aren’t they. Reading them brings back memories of who you were and what was going on in your life. I do miss the smell of worn, old library books 📚