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I think this is a vast oversimplification. I may not remember the details of every book, but I do remember the main themes and elements. I think the usefulness

I think this is a vast oversimplification. I may not remember the details of every book, but I do remember the main themes and elements. I think the usefulness of rereading ultimately depends on what one’s purpose is in reading a particular book. If I read a Dan Brown novel, it’s purely for entertainment purposes. I remember what it was about, and to read it a second time would be of little benefit and even less enjoyment. But then I read George Orwell’s 1984, where the enormous insights I gain from it exceed the enjoyment and make it worth revisiting. The second reading is even more gratifying than the first because I’m able to consolidate my understanding and discover nuances I'd missed on my first reading.

hkmurakami 9y ago
I read Snow Crash and only got a surface level read of it, but was recently talking to a friend who enlightened me on the near future social commentary it contains. The one I remember most is the proliferation of mega franchises, as well as "the library" corporation which we see in today's Internet data brokers. Need to re read it.
emodendroket 9y ago
You: > I think this is a vast oversimplification. I may not remember the details of every book, but I do remember the main themes and elements. The article: > Only on a third or fourth reading, he claims, do we start behaving toward a book as we would toward a painting, holding it all in the mind at once. > Nabokov does not mention forgetting, but it’s clear that this is what he is largely talking about. The physical effort of moving the eyes back and forth remains exactly the same on every reading of a book, nor have I ever found it particularly laborious. What is different on a second and subsequent readings is our growing capacity for retention, for putting things in relation to one another. We know the end of the story now and can see how it is foreshadowed at the beginning, how the strands are spun and gathered together. Rereading Mrs. Dalloway, for example, we are struck on the first page to find the comment “What a lark, what a plunge,” of Clarissa’s sallying forth from her house into the street, aware as we now are that later in the book one of the characters will plunge to his death from an upper window. At once we feel we know the novel better, or at least are more aware of its careful construction. It is gratifying.
- dotancohen 9y ago
  I find this holds for music as well. From Beethoven's Ninth Symphony to Vivaldi's Summer to Nine Inch Nail's The Downward Spiral, one simply cannot grasp all the concepts, ideas, conflicts, and motifs in a single listening. In fact, even after listening to them for _decades_ I still find nuances and expressions that I've never noticed before. Another interesting thing about classical music in particular is that different conductors will emphasize different motifs. Listen to Furtwrangler vs Bernstein conducting the fore-mentioned Ninth, for example. It is like seeing two photographs of the same person: obviously the same body but completely different representations. And each teaches us something different about the Beethoven's intentions and inspiration.
cmahler7 9y ago
Slightly off topic but I think Brave New World is more relevant in today's world than 1984. Majority of people couldn't care less what our government does as long as they have Netflix, Facebook, and their drug of choice. You should also check out Amusing Ourselves to Death

hkmurakami 9y ago

I read Snow Crash and only got a surface level read of it, but was recently talking to a friend who enlightened me on the near future social commentary it contains. The one I remember most is the proliferation of mega franchises, as well as "the library" corporation which we see in today's Internet data brokers. Need to re read it.

emodendroket 9y ago

You: > I think this is a vast oversimplification. I may not remember the details of every book, but I do remember the main themes and elements. The article: > Only on a third or fourth reading, he claims, do we start behaving toward a book as we would toward a painting, holding it all in the mind at once. > Nabokov does not mention forgetting, but it’s clear that this is what he is largely talking about. The physical effort of moving the eyes back and forth remains exactly the same on every reading of a book, nor have I ever found it particularly laborious. What is different on a second and subsequent readings is our growing capacity for retention, for putting things in relation to one another. We know the end of the story now and can see how it is foreshadowed at the beginning, how the strands are spun and gathered together. Rereading Mrs. Dalloway, for example, we are struck on the first page to find the comment “What a lark, what a plunge,” of Clarissa’s sallying forth from her house into the street, aware as we now are that later in the book one of the characters will plunge to his death from an upper window. At once we feel we know the novel better, or at least are more aware of its careful construction. It is gratifying.

dotancohen 9y ago
I find this holds for music as well. From Beethoven's Ninth Symphony to Vivaldi's Summer to Nine Inch Nail's The Downward Spiral, one simply cannot grasp all the concepts, ideas, conflicts, and motifs in a single listening. In fact, even after listening to them for _decades_ I still find nuances and expressions that I've never noticed before. Another interesting thing about classical music in particular is that different conductors will emphasize different motifs. Listen to Furtwrangler vs Bernstein conducting the fore-mentioned Ninth, for example. It is like seeing two photographs of the same person: obviously the same body but completely different representations. And each teaches us something different about the Beethoven's intentions and inspiration.

cmahler7 9y ago

Slightly off topic but I think Brave New World is more relevant in today's world than 1984. Majority of people couldn't care less what our government does as long as they have Netflix, Facebook, and their drug of choice. You should also check out Amusing Ourselves to Death