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Oh, Happy Bastille Day. by the way.
I am one of those people who re-read books. I suppose that before I continue with this entry, I should find out if the word re-read is really hyphenated or if I am just making it up. Hold on a sec.
Well that was interesting. I checked Google for usage and found lots of confusing links. So then I went to Dictionary.com and found this:
reread v : read anew; read again; "He re-read her letters to him"
So what does that mean when the actual word that is being defined is spelled differently in the example? It means I'm on my own.
There are two types of readers in the world: Those who read things once and only once and those who are re-readers. I am a re-reader. The single time readers seem to be of the opinion that "hey, I read it once. It hasn't changed, why should I read it again?" I can understand that I guess. But there are two reasons that I am a re-reader.
The first reason is that even though the book hasn't changed at all, I change. I change all the time. So a book that I might have enjoyed the first time, might really strike a chord with me the next time around. I'm finding that to be especially true now that my father died. The emotion associated with losing a parent was something I could only guess at before. Now, unfortunately, I can understand that feeling much better now. I don't mean to say that I enjoy books now that my father died. Jeez, it was just an example.
The second reason is a little embarrassing. Basically, I can miss things the first time reading a book. I'm currently re-reading Into Thin Air, the book about the fateful trip to the summit of Mt. Everest in May of 1996. By the end of the book the author is distraught by some of his decisions because he feels that they may have lead to the death of two of his fellow climbers. But only now, on the third reading of the book, do I actually understand what the heck he was talking about. I thought he was just being highly critical of himself the first two times I read the book. This time, I see what he's talking about.
I realize that this entry is pretty lame. Perhaps you should re-read it and maybe you'll get something more out of it.
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