The Comfort of the Reread
May is always a reliably hectic month for me. As a mom of four, I do this thing in May where I glance at the calendar, shake my head, and laugh. Then, I resolve to make plans for myself in June - because my kids’ social lives are infinitely more interesting than mine at the moment. I’ll suggest to a friend that we make plans … at some distant point … in the summer. More shrill laughter follows.
Giggling probably isn’t the healthiest response to overwhelm, but what can one do?
As it turns out, we have another option. Research suggests that we read a book - but not just any book. For the ultimate in stress reduction, we should reread a beloved book.
In a study published by The University of Chicago Press in the Journal of Consumer Research, researchers discovered that repeating a pleasant experience creates a sense of well-being and happiness. Authors Cristel Antonia and Sidney J. Levy concluded: “We find that consumers who chose to repeat hedonic experiences even just once are expressing and affirming their individual experience and its special meanings for them.”
This can mean rereading a book, rewatching a favorite movie, or even revisiting a beloved television series. Binge watching, it would seem, can actually have health benefits. Go figure! But because I’m an author and a lifelong reader, I’ll focus on the benefits of rereading in this space.
On its face, the experience of rereading appears to offer benefits for its familiarity. We’ve met these characters already. We already know the ending to this story. Even the language itself, the words and the syntax, might come back to us like the lyrics of a song we used to love. There’s a well-worn sameness here; the soothing expectation that we won’t be surprised.
But I’ve found that rereading invariably offers something new as well.
Since you last read the book, time has passed. You’ve changed. And with the experiences you’ve collected, the people you’ve met, the love lost and gained, you aren’t the person you once were. Because of all the ways you’ve grown, you will read the same book with new eyes. Because of you, the story will take on a new life.
Author Francis Osborne has said, “A few books well studied, and thoroughly digested, nourish the understanding more than hundreds gargled in the mouth.” Here, I think Osborne makes an excellent - if counterintuitive - point.
The publishing industry necessarily focuses on novelty. Every day, publishers release new titles to whet our appetites for a brand-new story. Personally, I love trying to keep pace with latest releases - reading their reviews and adding these books to my (endless) backlog of to-be-read titles. My favorite aspect of reading a buzzy book in lockstep with the rest of the world is the sense of community. I enjoy reading the latest and greatest book in real-time with everyone else.
In contrast, rereading strikes me as much more personal. You might not even remember the exact contours of the story, but you do remember that it struck a chord with you. For whatever reason (many of them deeply intimate), that book resonated with you at that moment in time - so much so that you’re willing to reinvest your time into it. And apparently, for your willingness to give it another go, you’ll realize health benefits as well. A win-win.
Some of us will return to books to find that they don’t resonate with us as much the second time around. But I think that’s okay, too. The point isn’t that the book will be the right book for you forever - but that you’ll never forget the moment when it was.
Below, you’ll find some books that I believe to be well worth the reread. What are yours?
