What’s your favorite book and how many times have you read it?
I was watching an episode of “Seinfeld” the other day on 1 of the many streaming networks we subscribe to. This particular episode concerned George Costanza who, after just breaking up with a woman he’d been dating, realized he had left some of his books at the woman’s apartment. Jerry told him to just go back and get them and George was reluctant to do so, fearing either an angry confrontation or even angrier “make-up sex”. George asked Jerry to go to the woman’s apartment and retrieve his books. Jerry was perplexed by the idea of ownership and retention of books after they’ve already been read. He quipped to George “You know, the interesting thing is that when you read ‘Moby Dick’ the second time Ahab and the whale become good friends!”
Having read “Moby Dick” more than a few times I could safely and smugly tell Mr. Seinfeld that he is dead wrong in his claim that Ahab and the whale become friends. They do go into business together, but they were never friends (I may be thinking of a different book…)
I do take issue however with Seinfeld’s sarcastic comment about reading the same book more than once. I understand the logic behind the comment; no matter how many times you read the same book, the South will still lose the Civil War and Rhett Butler will still leave Scarlet O’Hara, Robin Hood will still rob from the rich and give to the poor, and Billy Pilgrim will still become unstuck in time. Sorry for all the spoiler alerts I just unleashed on ya, but it had to be said!
So yes, logically I know what Seinfeld was referring to. Since that is the case, why do we all do it? I’m sure I’m not the only one who reads the same books or watches the same movies and tv shows in syndication? (you’re welcome, Mr. Seinfeld!) I think the emotional connection we may get upon first reading a book is something that can be recreated when rereading the same book. You may make the selection of which novel to read based on the mood you’re in at the time or the desire to get out of the mood you’re currently in. Sitting down with a story you’re familiar with is like sitting down with an old friend.
Sometimes sitting down with an old friend can be like sitting down with someone new. It all depends on the state of mind you’re in. Let’s say your best friend stops by for a visit. This person could be someone you’ve grown up with or have known for 20 years. You both know each other well. You know each other’s likes, dislikes, habits and idiosyncrasies. You like each other and feel a sense of comfort in each other’s presence.
On this particular day however, when your friend stops by you’ve just had the most horrible day. Your boss was on your case all day at work, the waiter spilled soup on you while you were at lunch and didn’t even apologize, your secretary kept interrupting your afternoon nap you usually like to take in your office late in the day and you got a speeding ticket on your way home. It seems like a friendly face would be just the tonic you need after the day you’ve had. Yet, when that friendly face stops by for a visit, you can’t rid yourself of all the negativity you experienced earlier in the day and dragged home with you. After 10 minutes your friend picks up on this and, rather than being your punching bag, makes an abrupt departure, sometimes accompanied by obscene finger gestures.
Ok, so maybe that analogy was a little overboard! But the point is that the choice in what to read and how we experience the reading once that selection has been made very often depends on the mood one is in and the mood one wishes to get into. Knowing the outcome of a book before reading it a second, third or fourth time isn’t as significant as the desire to either confirm your emotional state or alter it.
Being the nerd that I am, I had to see if I could find any thoughts or research on the matter of rereading novels and the reasons behind it. Thankfully, being a nerd is a little easier these days than it was in my youth, aka the fabled “days of yore”. In explanation to all readers who have never known life without the internet (whom I have referred to in the past as “whippersnappers” and shall forever hereafter refer to them as such… grrrrr… ) this meant going to the public library and poring through encyclopedias or musty old newspaper articles.
But even an old fart like me can learn how to navigate through search engines on the worldwide web, as the whippersnappers like to call it, and I found something interesting on the subject. Here’s a little bit of an article I found by Bence Nanay Ph.D.:
“But do we have the same experience when we reread a novel? No, we don't. And not just because we know the ending and will be less surprised by the plot twists. We have a different experience because reading heavily relies on the use of mental imagery, and the mental imagery reading conjures up can be very different on two different occasions.” https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psychology-tomorrow/202212/why-do-we-reread-novels
I love it when an opinion or thought I’ve had is corroborated by someone with a doctorate credential after their name. It makes me feel so smart!
I understand the whole “mental imagery” thing, and you probably do, too. Have you ever pictured the scenery in the room a character is in, or the landscape or buildings and streets being described? When a character’s physical appearance is described in detail, can you see that person in your mind? Does he or she remind you of someone you know?
When I was still able to “read” a book, that is when I still had enough of my vision left to open an actual, physical book and read it with my eyeballs, I could hear in my inner voice how a character sounded and picture landscapes and surroundings and reflectively linger over them. This is why I was very often disappointed when a book I had enjoyed was made into a movie. The way a character sounded in my head, the way that character moved and the environment he or she moved in never seemed to match what was displayed on the movie screen.
This is why I was reluctant to listen to audio books. I feared I would lose some of that inner monologue, the way a character sounded in my head because, just as in the movies, there’s an external voice saying the things that characters were saying in the book.
If, for example, while reading something like “Hamlet” and on a whim I decided I wanted the character Hamlet to sound like Foghorn Leghorn in my head, I could do so. Obviously if anyone was watching me while I read, they might wonder why I was giggling to myself while reading a Shakespearean tragedy, but that’s part of the fun of it.
I’m happy to say however that listening to audio books has not been a disappointment, even though it’s my only real alternative at this point (I am WAY too lazy to learn Braille!). I still get as much out of listening to books as much as reading them. There are some happy surprises that come with it, as well. There are some very good narrators out there who read the audio book versions of classic novels, some of them very well-known actors. Listening to classic literature read out loud by the likes of David Hyde Pierce, Tim Curry or Elijah Wood, to name a few, is quite enjoyable! I have also admitted in earlier stories here on “Life On Smars” to being a fairly recent convert to the “Harry Potter” novels. The narrator of all 7 novels in that series is Jim Dale and he gives an excellent performance. I have listened to the entire series of books at least 5 times!
As of the writing of this story there is no audio book version of my book, “The Best of ‘Life On” (I knew I’d be able to work in some shameless self-promotion somehow!) I may have to look into getting that done and I have the perfect voice in mind to narrate that book of mine: Foghorn Leghorn!