The question about a book you wish you could read again for the first time gets posted here once a week or so, but I’ve never seen anyone ask about a book you genuinely liked but don’t wish to read it again for the first time.
For example, I maintain that *The Magicians* by Lev Grossman is one of the best books I’ve ever read, probably my favorite fantasy book of all time. A lot of that is based off of concrete things like the prose or the themes, but mostly it comes down to how I connect to the book. I read the Magicians years ago when I was 16, and the candid way it treats with depression and themes related to it opened my eyes in a lot of ways and challenged me in ways that helped me mature. If I were to erase those memories and read the book for the first time, either it wouldn’t have the same impact on me because I’ve already done the hard, grueling, personal work to come to terms with my illness and my life, or I’d revert back to the person I was before. Like Quentin at the beginning of *The Magicians*, I would once again be “in very real danger of learning to seriously dislike myself.”
What about you? Any books that come to mind?
by Multiclassed
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*The Silmarillion.* Great book, but better the second time. Even better the third time. By the fourth, you can remember most of the characters. By the fifth you can tell them apart.
Probably a pretty common answer, but LOTR and The Hobbit. My dad read to me and my siblings from those books when we were kids. Now that he’s gone, reading anything Tolkien makes me feel connected to him. I wouldn’t give that up for anything.
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
It’s my favorite book of all time, but the first time I read it I wasn’t exactly thrilled by it. I didn’t really understand it the way I wanted to. It’s only been after I’ve reread it a few (okay more than a few) times that I feel like I really have a grasp on it and really appreciate it. Now I always find something new to think about or enjoy with every read. I wouldn’t want to read it again for the first time because I’m so looking forward to reading it again for the 10th,11th, 12th, etc time.