I am never a rereader of my own volition. I don't think that rereading is exclusively for people that don't understand the text, but I do feel like that is the reason that it is most used. Personally, I consider rereading a waste of time if used for nothing beyond comprehension issues. I like to expand my horizons and I approach this goal with a practical mindset. To me, rereading a text that I already understand is redundant and a misuse of time that could be otherwise spent reading and understanding new things. I recognize that rereading can provide more depth and understanding, but at what depth do we stop at? Comprehension and complexity of a text is a bottomless ocean and to say that you wish to reread a text to gain more insight or different angles in my mind is akin to attempting to touch the edges of the universe. We can all sit around and think up infinite interpretations until we grow grey, but is that productive? I have placed a definitive threshold and standard of understanding that I try to achieve with everything I read. Unless the text was particularly complex or intriguing, I never pursue it further. I would prefer to be a jack of all trades and master of none (or a few) when it comes to knowledge and I feel as though constantly rereading is counterproductive to that goal.
With all that said, I will definitely acknowledge that reading styles and habits are personal preference and some people may find great joy and satisfaction in rereading. I have no doubt that in some scenarios for some people it is largely beneficial.
Rachel - You make valid points. In our busy worlds and with the plethora of new literature published everyday, it makes sense that some people do not re-read. I hope, however, that you find a piece of literature someday that you become passionate about and that this passion leads you to desire to re-read. My favorite novel is The Great Gatsby. Because I teach it to my 11th graders, I have read it at least 15 times. Even before I taught it, though, I read it three times. Each time I read it, I love it more. Because it is a work of high literary merit and, in my opinion, the great American novel, I discover new elements and become closer to the characteristics with each reading. I hope you discover a novel that elicits this experience for you.
ReplyDeleteI somewhat agree with you Rachel. I do think that rereading is usually connected to comprehension issues, but sometimes it is really beneficial to reread, even if the text is understood. When our Latin class studied The Iliad, I would think that I understood every point that Virgil was trying to get across to the reader until I went into class the next day and heard everyone's different views on the discussed chapters. Looking into the text even more allowed our entire class to discover hidden meanings and possible foreshadowing that we may not have seen when we read the text for the first time. I agree with you in saying that comprehension and complexity of a text is a bottomless ocean, but I think it is productive to dive as deep as possible through a text. Looking deeper allows you to learn more about the characters, the author, and the overall meaning of the story.
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