What books would you read 100 times?
I’m re-sharing a prompt I posted on the Antilibraries forum last year — something I think sparks some very interesting questions, exploring what can happen when you take re-reading to the n-th degree…
I found the idea of “centireading” in an article a few years back — referring to the practice of reading the same book at least 100 times.
I’ve never actually done this, but I love the premise — I appreciate ideas that begin to push into the absurd, and make me think about the power of reading and the boundaries of what it can be and do.
The author of this article describes reading both Hamlet and The Inimitable Jeeves over 100 times apiece, for different reasons (one academic, one for pleasure).
One interesting result of this relationship with Hamlet: “it lost its sense of cliche”, every soliloquy eventually becoming equally familiar and powerful. Also:
Centireading reveals a pleasure peculiar to text lurking underneath story and language and even understanding. Part of the attraction of centireading is that it provides the physical activity of reading without the mental acuity usually required.
I am, I must admit, a novelty seeker, and not sure I’ll realistically read any book quite so often. But a few I might consider:
- Eunoia: for the sheer experience of lyrical language, continually inspiring for its virtuosity and poetic contributions, and just plain fun to read (and read aloud!)
- His Dark Materials trilogy: my favorite fantasy series; I could see reading this to my kids and just for myself whenever I want a nostalgia trip
- Cosmicomics: fantastically fun Calvino, richly imaginative stories I think would reward many reads
- Minding the Muse and Make Art Make Money: two great books about, respectively, being a productive and creatively fulfilled artist, and balancing the demands of creative life with practical business concerns…both I think potentially useful recurring reminders
- Moby Dick: hilarious and poetic and grand and audacious, chapter upon chapter of strange and alchemical literary splendor, and boundless insights on human nature (and nature nature)
- Pilgrim at Tinker Creek: wonderful book about nature, time, attention; almost prose poetry, with deeply sensitive descriptions and meditations (important for any rereadable book: wisdom and enjoyable prose)
When I first posted about this, I was glad to see a number of interesting replies, including some I wouldn’t have thought of!
- The enduring appeal of Invisible Cities and dependable hilarity of Hitchhiker’s Guide
- An annual reading of Hamlet, noticing new details each time
- The Odyssey, The Idiot, Parzival, The Tao Te Ching…
- Reading the Book of Psalms 1,000 times, with different methods, versions, languages (other biblical books and the Quran too)
I’d love to hear other suggestions. Are there any…
- Books you’ve read more than a dozen times?
- Books you could imagine centireading, or rereading each year?
- Books where you collect as many editions as you can find, or otherwise feel a special connection?
- Also…what do you think are the most important characteristics that make a book rereadable?
Share your thoughts here if you like!
Brendan