Aging and re-reading

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KiddDizz

Active Member
Jan 12, 2009
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Denver
I've been reading Mr. King since I was about 8 years old and I have read all of the novels and a great number of the short stories (all the published collections and a lot of his magazine work), and I love reading them again after a few years. It seems he manages to weave a character into such an elaborate fabric that, with the growing of the reader, the traits that stand out in the characters change and different ones become relatable. I've purchased all of the available audiobooks and I love to listen to ones I've already read. It's like having an old friend tell you a story that you've heard before, but one you never grow tired of hearing.
 

mustangclaire

There's petrol runnin' through my veins.
Jun 15, 2010
2,956
12,726
52
East Sussex, UK
I've been reading Mr. King since I was about 8 years old and I have read all of the novels and a great number of the short stories (all the published collections and a lot of his magazine work), and I love reading them again after a few years. It seems he manages to weave a character into such an elaborate fabric that, with the growing of the reader, the traits that stand out in the characters change and different ones become relatable. I've purchased all of the available audiobooks and I love to listen to ones I've already read. It's like having an old friend tell you a story that you've heard before, but one you never grow tired of hearing.
Welcome!
 

VampireLily

Vampire Goddess & Consumer of men's souls.
Jul 25, 2013
1,469
8,829
New Jersey
I have found that as I get older (I will be 53 next month) that I just cannot reread a lot of books, no matter who wrote them. It literally took me 6 months to reread The Stand (it was my third time reading it) 2 years ago. I must admit, I was never real lover of The Stand; not when it first came out and not now. (I know, this is blasphemy.) I reread The Shining in preparation for reading Doctor Sleep when it came out, and I found rereading The Shining to be a chore as well (though I like it a lot more than The Stand). I will say that I am rereading Wicked (by Gregory Maguire) right now and tearing through it. I read it back in 1995 when it was first published, but had forgotten so much about it that it is like reading a brand new book to me. Maybe part of the reason I do not like rereading SK books so much is because I know many of them inside and out. Maybe I should go back and reread something I don't remember a lot about (like Duma Key or Rose Madder) and see what happens.

i totally understand where you're coming from! Even though i love hanging out with an old friend, tearing through the story isn't a necessity... i already know what's coming. I no longer feel like i need to get to the end of the chapter before i close my eyes at night or that i just can't put it down until i know why one character is confronting another. And the longer the book, the less likely i feel the need to revisit it. I read The Stand (not my favorite either!) twice because i felt the need to better connect with the content.... but i cannot see myself ever reading it again.

i remember Kate Bush once saying that she disliked performing live because there didn't seem any sense in it.... that she didn't like 'recreating' art when that time could be spent creating something new. Sometimes that's how i feel about reading & writing.
 

ghost19

"Have I run too far to get home?"
Sep 25, 2011
8,926
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Arkansas
....not to sound like a curmudgeon, but King never re-wrote The Stand...he simply cleaned up and re-inserted material he'd already written and was edited out of the original edition, nor did HE do the change of the ending in The Mist-he just approved of it...
Well stated.....and you're still a curmudgeon...lol
 

kingricefan

All-being, keeper of Space, Time & Dimension.
Jul 11, 2006
30,011
127,446
Spokane, WA
I have re-read every King book at least once, some of them numerous times like The Dark Tower novels or 'Salem's Lot. I still haven't done a re-read of Duma Key yet or 11/22/63 or Under The Dome as I am letting them age, like a fine wine. I have other books by other authors in my TBR pile that need my attention, but I will come back to the King books eventually. There's nothing like reading a King book for the second time, when you're not racing thru it to find out 'what happens next', and letting yourself savor the feel and taste of the language or turn of a phrase.....
 

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
87,651
358,754
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Cambridge, Ohio
Shocked-Kermit-630x410.jpg
 

carrie's younger brother

Well-Known Member
Mar 8, 2012
5,428
25,651
NJ
i totally understand where you're coming from! Even though i love hanging out with an old friend, tearing through the story isn't a necessity... i already know what's coming. I no longer feel like i need to get to the end of the chapter before i close my eyes at night or that i just can't put it down until i know why one character is confronting another. And the longer the book, the less likely i feel the need to revisit it. I read The Stand (not my favorite either!) twice because i felt the need to better connect with the content.... but i cannot see myself ever reading it again.

i remember Kate Bush once saying that she disliked performing live because there didn't seem any sense in it.... that she didn't like 'recreating' art when that time could be spent creating something new. Sometimes that's how i feel about reading & writing
.

Very well said! Plus, you quoted one of my all-time favorite artists, Kate Bush! All I can say is... "Wow." ;)
 

booklover72

very strange person
Jan 12, 2014
731
2,995
51
Dublin
i am a re-rereader, I have read BOB about 8 times, Insomnia about 4 times Halfway through Cell Again tryng to figure out whether to read Salem's lot Again or The tommyknockers. I agree so many books and so little time, but even re-reading a Stephen King book makes me escape the humdrum of everyday life. A stephen king book is a box of choclates - so many nice things and they all taste delicious. er yes, think i will stick to programming.:)
 

blunthead

Well-Known Member
Aug 2, 2006
80,755
195,461
Atlanta GA
In the early days, I avidly re-read SK's books...just a word to younger members - you are lucky to have such a large body of work before you as you start on making your way through SK's back catalogue - savour your reading and re-reading!
(I would add, when encouraging younger people, to realize the opportunity they have to learn wisdom, to pay attention to us older ones in order to have fewer regrets.) The only sK I've read more than once is On Writing, which I re-read simply because I couldn't find my copy of 'Salem's Lot when I went on vacation once, so grabbed the first thing I saw. I'm looking forward to re-reading The Stand, as I know I'll like it more than I did the first time. This is probably going to be the case whenever I re-read any sK stuff; and, assuming I'll be around long enough to get through everything the first time, which if he doesn't slow down I might not be dammit!!! :mad:
 

bigkingfan91

Well-Known Member
Mar 1, 2014
190
921
32
WV
I'm 22 and have been reading since, oh I don't know to be honest, im going to say 9 or 10. There are a couple novels and short stories here and there that I haven't read, and a few more now since I completely quit reading for years after I read "Cell", whenever that came out. I just got out of reading and collecting, and have been back in it for a month or so now. I'm trying to get caught up on what I missed ( Duma Key, Liseys Story, Joyland, 11/22/63, a few more ) and then go back and re read some of the classics and finish what I never got around to reading. I've never read the first word of any of the Dark Tower books, just never thought I'd be interested in them but I hope to start them soon. That may take awhile to finish though, lol. I've never finished The Stand, to be honest I just never got into the story enough back then but I think I would now. Rage, and Blaze, those are 2 that I've been wanting to read for a long time now.
I like re reading some works but I have too many right now I need to catch up on to be honest. I want to be as caught up as I can by the time Mr. Mercedes comes out, buy it brand new the very 1st day, and start it right after. Bring back that feeling of buying a brand new novel the very day it releases, that new book smell, yeah! lol
 

booklover72

very strange person
Jan 12, 2014
731
2,995
51
Dublin
I have so many books that if I read a new one every week, I would never get to them all before my life is done....
but I still reread my favorite Stephen King books on a regular basis.
are you like me? you can't go into a bookshop and buy one book, you end up with 3/4. There was a time i was reading 5 books at the same time. I love SK boks, but i read James Herbert, Freddie Forsthy, Robert Harris(try him historical faction), robert Harris, Benjamin Black (a/k/a John Banville) i used to read Wilbur smith but his previous novel was extremely graphic in relation to sex(and i am open-minded) i put it down. Tolstoy, Oscar Wilde(read the importance of being earnest v. funny) i read physics(hawking, michio kaku, lisa randall), history(the moments men), i haven;t read psychology since i was 15(bored in school), i tried to read the (mis)interpretation of dreams. I came to the conclusion Mr freud is mixing his subconscious with his sexual appetite and patients dreams. enjoy reading. it's great fun. oh yeah C++ programming (well, what else would a programmer read)

there is a life waiting to be unveiled in a book.
 

taylor29

Well-Known Member
Mar 18, 2014
103
391
Re-reading can be a way to re-capture a sense of otherworldliness that books offer. If you feel good or like you've grown after reading a book, re-reading can be tempting because you want to revisit not just the stories but the sense of accomplishment (or whatever you felt) again. I can't imagine reading the DT all the way through again - or any other SK book - but I can see revisiting parts of the books anyway. I already have, in fact.