The Dragonbone Chair discussion

Anyone hesitant to reread a series/book they loved at some point in their life because they don't think it'll be as good as they remember it?
I've been thinking about rereading Memory Sorrow & Thorn which as memory serves is my all time favorite fantasy series BUT I read it when it first came out and my reading style/taste/experience has changed so much that I think I've been putting off a reread because I don't think it'll be as good as memory serves and I guess I'm curious if I'm the only one this has happened to...

some books can only be enjoyed once. memory sorrow & thorn was one hell of a dense read. but i finished the entire series and i'm happy that i did. but i'm not reading it again, except to occasionally go back to this interesting chapter and that.

I too loved this story when I first read it. I've tried three times to go back and read again, and I don't get very far.

Maybe some day.

This series was enjoyable as a whole, but I have little desire to revisit it. I imagine it would be a very difficult re-read as the first book takes so long to get off the ground. If I were ever to read this series again, I'd skip the first 200 pages entirely.

I reread the whole series after about 10(?) years. I found that I had forgotten some sections of the book and found some new and interesting portions. I found myself focusing on different areas of the book that I I hadn't done before when I read it. (When I read a new book, I tend to skip paragraphs to get to the next exciting part.) So rereading was definately a different experience than the first time...and, yes, I found it just as enjoyable as the first time.

I reread my favs ALL the time, including this one. Admittedly, I wait a couple of years between but I always discover something new and exciting. For example, did you notice . . .

I like to reread book series, I have found what I take away from the books changes as I have aged and my POV has shifted over time.

This is one of my favorite fantasy series. I've tried reading his other series and couldn't even finish the book. I am type of person that once I start a book I've got to finish it. As far as re~reading this series I'll probably do one in the future.

Cheryl wrote: "I reread my favs ALL the time, including this one. Admittedly, I wait a couple of years between but I always discover something new and exciting. For example, did you notice . . ."

That's kind of my take also. Rarely do I do a re-read and regret it. If I have to pick one I've avoided, it would be the Shannara series. I still have the original set, and I collected Brook's other books until a few years ago, when I got bored at the formulaic writing. Books I'm dying to re-read are the Rothfuss books and also Game of Thrones.

I read The Dragonbone Chair a long time ago. Last month I reread it and I have to say, now that I'm older, I appreciated the story so much more. I'm also planning on rereading The Sword of Shannara Trilogy which I loved and read a LONG time ago. But the author has written many other books in the series and I want to get the whole experience.

I have re-read books and found them disappointing. I just donated 80 books I'll never read again. The Dragonbone Chair is not on my bookshelf, and I won't try and read it again. It was never my favourite read to start, and I don't think time will have done it any favours. It was a very dense read.

Ciara wrote: "I have re-read books and found them disappointing. I just donated 80 books I'll never read again. The Dragonbone Chair is not on my bookshelf, and I won't try and read it again. It was never my fav..."

ive also given away the 4 books from the trilogy (still annoys me that).. not a series id want to revisit.

I did recently reread The Dragonbone Chair (haven't made it to the rest of the series). I did love the book but for different reasons than the first time. It was slower than I remember (which was bad) but I don't remember the writing being so wonderful and poetic (which was good).

I will probably continue the series but not all in a row - maybe one every six months because I think I do need to be in the mood for something like this series. It's huge and grand and wonderful but also a large time commitment that takes dedication (the series is not exactly a page turner) - I think it's worth the investment if (and only if) you happen to be in the right mood for this type of series.

I read this series as a kid and loved it. I tried going back to it once a while back and it just wasn't the same which made me hesitant to revisit some other cherished childhood memories.

On the flip side it's interesting to see which stories hold up over time. A few months ago I reread Piers Anthony's Split Infinity (Adept Series). The first time in 27 years, so I was 13 at the time I read it. I never realized how much adult themes were in that story until I read it as an adult.

The Elfstones of Shannara is one of my all-time favorites as kid that I still enjoy as an adult. Same with the Eye of the World.

Bruce wrote: "This series was enjoyable as a whole, but I have little desire to revisit it. I imagine it would be a very difficult re-read as the first book takes so long to get off the ground. If I were ever ..."

You hit the nail on the head there. Great series but the beginning of book 1 is really difficult to sink you teeth into, skip that section and it sings.

It is on my mental list to re-read and I think it's good enough to justify the time. My problem is lack of time - read something great a second time or try and discover something new and great. Not enough hours in the day. Robin Hobb's Assassin's Apprentice was one I read again recently - fantastic.

I could see it being a good series to re-read, as it has a lot of detail, which could be missed on the first pass. There were a lot of cultural intricacies, which were quite fascinating.

I'm going to give it a re-read. I'm having a difficult time finding newer books in the genre that appeal to me.

I always try and re-read a book if I enjoyed it the first time :) Books speak to us differently at different times. If after few pages you notice it doesn't work with you again then maybe it is just not the right read for wherever you are in life right now.
It happened to me many times and then a year later, the book was the exact right thing to read again.

If it's one of your favorites I think I reread is always welcome no matter how dense it is