I’ll Tell You When I’ve Had Enough
I have a well-read friend; she can consume an incredible number of books each month and somehow still make dinner, keep house, have hobbies (like painting! She does amazing watercolors), practice martial arts, and be a wonderful wife and mother to her husband and five children. She really knows how to squeeze all the value from a minute, you know?
I guess with all that efficiency and productivity, I shouldn’t have been surprised when she told me that she doesn’t really remember the books once she’s finished with them. I mean, it did surprise me when she said it, but now that I’ve written that glowing first paragraph, I’m starting to get a new understanding as to how that could happen.
At the time, I kind of envied her the ability to forget the book after she’d read it. That meant she could experience books for the first time all over again! But then I started thinking it over a little more and realized that this actually wouldn’t be something I’d enjoy.
Why? Because I love re-reading books. I love seeing how they change based on where I am in my life. How certain scenes can stand out the first time but then others come into the spotlight on the second. And there’s something in me that appreciates settling down with a familiar, comfort read if my life is a certain kind of stressful.
There’s no wrong way to read, though. Just because I like to read things repeatedly doesn’t mean I think it’s better than reading things once and moving on. Indeed, there are plenty of books where I read them once and once is plenty.
But for others, the analyst, symbologist parts of my psyche kicks in and those are the books I purchase for my physical bookshelf because I know I’ll be reaching for them more than once. What are my top repeat reads? So Glad You Asked!
1. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Why: Symbolism. Hands down. This book is so spectacularly full of rich, beautiful symbols. When I was in college, there was a whole semester where I dedicated time every day to read this book cover-to-cover and make notes about the symbolism. I never went further with my education, but if I had, this would have been my thesis. When I worked in a microbiology lab, it was no secret that this was my favorite book, and whenever the scientists went to international conferences, they would come back with a copy in the language of their conference venue, leading me to own several copies of this book in languages I do not speak. (Like Greek, the original French, Japanese, German, and I believe I even own the Klingon version)
2. The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander (all five)
Why: Because my teacher read us The Book of Three when I was in fifth grade, and I developed a crush on Taran the assistant pig-keeper that hasn’t let up for a couple of decades. They’re quick and adventurous and watching Taran’s full character arc is a thing of beauty to me. I love that I work at a university that has Alexander’s desk on the first floor of the library and my neighbor (an elderly gentleman) was a personal friend who does not mind regaling me with insight into Lloyd’s life, writing, and character.
3. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Why: Wholesome, simple comfort. The setting. The sisters. The sweetness. I know this novel deals with many heavy, sad themes too, but for some reason, it just feels good to read. I have the same feelings and probably the same reading count for:
4. Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
Why: Horse girl growing up in the Midwest who did not have the means to have a horse. I did have the Breyer collection that I had to split with my sister, though. She got Black Beauty and Duchess and I had Ginger (I adored Ginger) and Merrylegs.
5. Watership Down by Richard Adams
Why: World building. I love what Richard has done with the culture of rabbits. The stories within the stories are exceptional.
6. Matilda by Roald Dahl
Why: I can’t fully explain this one? Maybe because I strange, quiet girl who read a lot who wished I could move things with my mind? Maybe I was an in a reading slump and figured that getting to the last page of Matilda and promptly turning back to the front to read it again was better than trying to find something else to read that I might like? Whatever, the reason, I reread Matilda enough that my classmate noticed and asked me what the heck I was doing - if I really was reading it that many times in a row or was I just reading it once really, really slowly.
Ok, do I have any grown-up books I reread often? Besides mine, that is? (I wrote the book I couldn’t find, all right?) There aren’t many, but I do have a couple.
1. Moby Dick by Herman Melville
Why: I have no explanation. I like it? I really like the way it starts, and I love Queequeg
2. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Why: Because for some reason, when you are an English major, you are forced to endure this unredeemable piece of nonsense for way too many classes in a tortured loop. (Don’t mind me if it’s your favorite book, ok? It’s a classic for a reason; I just spend all my time reading it with my jaw clenched internally screaming at Dorian to Make Better Choices. I do like the Ben Barnes film adaptation, though.
3. The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
Why: Because it’s an acid trip covered in burning candles and melting wax. Look, I get it. There is nothing really happening in Erin’s books (Night Circus too) but you have to hand it to Erin for the imagery, all right? Give me all the dripping candle wax and I’ll forget everything that was never there in the plot. The language is just pretty and that’ll do for me.
4. A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows
Why: Because vulnerable, tender boys are my weakness. There, I confessed. I’ll read them in any incarnation, but I like this version of them especially well. The follow-up novel, All the Hidden Paths, was a winner too.
Do you have books that you use as comfort reads? I’d love to know what they are!
I’m going to give you my email so you can tell me. karinmallard3 AT gmail
