The love/hate relationship with our favourite books
"No story is the same to us after a lapse of time; or rather we who read it are no longer the same interpreters." George Eliot
I spotted this quote on Facebook the other day. There is so much truth in it. It made me think of books that I've read more than once, at different stages of my life. Some I loved when I read them in my twenties didn't seem so great when I read them again in my thirties. Some I hated because they were books I might have been forced to read at school,I actually enjoyed reading after years had passed.
This is a very important thing for not only authors but readers to acknowledge. As we change, as we grow, as we learn more and go through new experiences, books will mean different things to us.
If ten people read the same book, they'll probably all take away something different from it, and much of the reason for that is they won't all relate to the same characters in the book; it all depends on their life experience.
One of my favourite authors, Paulo Coelho once said: “It's not my business if people like or dislike [my writing],”
That is very true. The reasons why a reader may or may not like a book will more often than not come down to their own life experiences, not whether the book is any good or not.
This is an important point to consider when reading and writing book reviews.
I was once warned by a fellow writer that it's not a good idea to go back and read a book that used to be your favourite because chances are you might not like it anymore. At the time, I didn't think that was likely, but he was proved right when I re-read a book that I'd previously raved about and recommended to others, only to find that I didn't really find anything amazing about it anymore.
Our taste in books will change as we change, just like our taste in music, films, etc.
So, never completely write off that novel you thought you hated, and don't be too disappointed when you go back and read a book you loved 20 years ago only to find you don't like it anymore. :)
The most important thing is to keep an open mind when it come to literature and read as much and as widely as you can.
I spotted this quote on Facebook the other day. There is so much truth in it. It made me think of books that I've read more than once, at different stages of my life. Some I loved when I read them in my twenties didn't seem so great when I read them again in my thirties. Some I hated because they were books I might have been forced to read at school,I actually enjoyed reading after years had passed.
This is a very important thing for not only authors but readers to acknowledge. As we change, as we grow, as we learn more and go through new experiences, books will mean different things to us.
If ten people read the same book, they'll probably all take away something different from it, and much of the reason for that is they won't all relate to the same characters in the book; it all depends on their life experience.
One of my favourite authors, Paulo Coelho once said: “It's not my business if people like or dislike [my writing],”
That is very true. The reasons why a reader may or may not like a book will more often than not come down to their own life experiences, not whether the book is any good or not.
This is an important point to consider when reading and writing book reviews.
I was once warned by a fellow writer that it's not a good idea to go back and read a book that used to be your favourite because chances are you might not like it anymore. At the time, I didn't think that was likely, but he was proved right when I re-read a book that I'd previously raved about and recommended to others, only to find that I didn't really find anything amazing about it anymore.
Our taste in books will change as we change, just like our taste in music, films, etc.
So, never completely write off that novel you thought you hated, and don't be too disappointed when you go back and read a book you loved 20 years ago only to find you don't like it anymore. :)
The most important thing is to keep an open mind when it come to literature and read as much and as widely as you can.
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Julie
(new)
Jun 11, 2014 06:21AM
Great points...although I think my favourites will always remain because that affected me.
reply
|
flag
Julie wrote: "Great points...although I think my favourites will always remain because that affected me."I thought that too, Julie, but then I read one of my faves about 10 years after I first read it and thought it wasn't very well written :( I kind of wish I hadn't read it again as I'd enjoyed it so much the first time.
I haven't had the experience of rereading a favorite book and falling out of love with it--that would be a major bummer! But I suppose it's true that our tastes change over time.
Maria wrote: "Julie wrote: "Great points...although I think my favourites will always remain because that affected me."I thought that too, Julie, but then I read one of my faves about 10 years after I first re..."
Yes, good point, however, there aren't many books I've re-read, preferring to keep my good memories...maybe I realised it's best not to.
