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Do you reread books?
I force myself to. With so many great books as yet unread, I'm often reluctant to spend more time on books I think I aslready already know. But invariably when I reread a book I find I get so much more out of it that I'm very glad I did.
So I've made a rule of thumb:
Every third book I read should be one I've previously read.
I don't always stick to this, but I try to maintain on average the 2:1 ratio of new readings to repeat readings.
Ideally you should reread great books every ten years, I think. You'll find they can take on different and deeper meanings in every decade of your life. This may be one of the hallmarks of a great work. And ten years is just about the right interval I find for a memorable book to really settle in my mind and then appear fresh upon a new reading.
But, really, no one—with a life—has time for that amount of reading. Still, one tries one's best to make new literary acquaintances while deepening one's appreciation of old friends.
