Is anyone else like this?

[James Heard]

I can read several books in just a few hours if they aren't incredibly complex in their concepts or aren't so long or dull that my mind resists long walks with them. I do everything fast. I don't reread everything, but I certainly reread things that I want to remember more clearly or simply enjoy enough to have a second account of it. Luckily my Narnia books are sturdy hardcovers.

Sometimes I'm astounded by conversations with people who read books lethargically and thoroughly, that can remember character's last names and minor details. Those things fade fairly quickly for me, but then I've been known to rip through three or four books before my younger brother has even made it through half of a single one and what devil-details I might miss seem to be balanced by a larger sample of comparison.

My most severe difficulty lately has been trying to remember enough details of certain short stories I'd read when I was much younger enough to search through a mountain of fiction magazines in my attic and locate them to reread them.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

Sometimes I'm astounded by conversations with people who read books lethargically and thoroughly, that can remember character's last names and minor details.

I tend not to be able to remember names in conversations because I'm, I guess you'd say a very visual reader. I don't neccassarily hear the words in my head, and I never sound out new or unusual names, I just learn to recognize them. As a result, in a fantasy or sci fi book particularly, I have no idea how to say character's names.

In terms of details of plot, I don't have a retention problem, to say the least. I have an eclectic memory, but reading a book in a day has never stopped me from discussing the plots and subplots in easily as much detail as my friends who read it over the course of a week. I could see if I was as hardcore a speed reader as you seem to be how I might have more trouble. As it is, minor details are my favorite parts of most fiction.

That said, I rarely feel the need to deeply consider or process the fiction I read. Very little out there in my expereince is as deep as it wants to be, and I save my pondering for the exploration of reality. So I can't say that I tend to gain any greater insight on rereading- just the same enjoyment as I got rewatching the stargate eps I'd already seen when the new set of DVDs came out...

Kahuna Burger

 

[Sir Whiskers]

First, I want to say that's there's no right or wrong answer to the question. Reading through this thread, some responses seem a bit too close to criticizing another person's reasons, so I suggest we stick to explaining our own.

For myself, I re-read all the time (just as I re-watch favorite movies and tv shows). I can't imagine not doing so. While I read new material frequently, there are times I'm just in the mood for a particular experience, and if a certain book fits, that's the one I read. If I'm in the mood for something new, that's what I pick up. Since I'm usually reading 4 or 5 items (books, magazines, pdf's) at any given time, I'm constantly reading new and old material.

One definition of Hell: No books.

Reading: 50/50 reread/new
Watching: 40/60 rewatch/new

 

[Silver Moon]

Absolutely not like that. We have a huge sci-fi/fantasy library of well over 2,000 paperbacks and maybe 200 hardcovers. Part of that was from buying out for 10 to 25-cents a book the whole sci-fi section of two used books stores that went under in the late 90's. My wife and I read a lot, and we have three young ones coming up, the oldest of which has now broken into the collection.

We probably have a few hundred videos too, but I'm not as much into rewatching as rereading. Still, I'd say there are at least 50 films that I've watched 10 or more times.

 

[Tallok]

I have trouble rereading books, but none at all with movies. I also don't have much time to read, and I like to spend it on things I haven't read. Plus it's hard to read long description or suspense or anything of the sort, if you know what'll happen and can picture whatever is being described in your mind