such a great reminder, I feel a lot of today’s culture is fixated on the newness of our milestones—how many new books did you read this year, how many new artists did you discover, etc
true, i think there's always something slightly suspicious about speed-reading and the idea of having a "number", because it implies that books are just another commodity to be quickly consumed and discarded, and that reading a lot of books somehow stands as a kind of marker of status or intellect. I understand that it can be motivating to have a reading list or to count the books one reads -I myself keep a reading journal-, but I always think people should enjoy reading widely and leisurely at whatever pace suits them. Also, I pick different books and genres for different types and occasions of reading. Why limit oneself, right?
"One Hundred Years of Solitude" is that kind of book. It was mandatory at school when I was young. I couldn't read it. I guess I wasn't mature enough. Years went by, and a Brazilian friend of mine had it in Portuguese. I asked her to lend it to me, and I devoured it in Portuguese. Recently, I bought it for a friend of mine in English, and I read it too. Now, I'm planning to buy it again in Spanish so I can finally read it in my native language.
Rereading books is always an interesting experience—much like revisiting old songs you once loved, but with a fresh perspective. As we grow and go through new experiences, familiar passages take on new meanings, resonating in ways they didn’t before. It’s refreshing because stories often linger in our minds as fragments, yet rereading reveals forgotten details and hidden layers. Always an adventure!
such a great reminder, I feel a lot of today’s culture is fixated on the newness of our milestones—how many new books did you read this year, how many new artists did you discover, etc
true, i think there's always something slightly suspicious about speed-reading and the idea of having a "number", because it implies that books are just another commodity to be quickly consumed and discarded, and that reading a lot of books somehow stands as a kind of marker of status or intellect. I understand that it can be motivating to have a reading list or to count the books one reads -I myself keep a reading journal-, but I always think people should enjoy reading widely and leisurely at whatever pace suits them. Also, I pick different books and genres for different types and occasions of reading. Why limit oneself, right?
Appreciate the comment, Julian
yes!! I touch on this in my first Substack post about how metric-heavy our world has become, would love to hear your thoughts if you have the time
A book is a book, no matter how read!
"One Hundred Years of Solitude" is that kind of book. It was mandatory at school when I was young. I couldn't read it. I guess I wasn't mature enough. Years went by, and a Brazilian friend of mine had it in Portuguese. I asked her to lend it to me, and I devoured it in Portuguese. Recently, I bought it for a friend of mine in English, and I read it too. Now, I'm planning to buy it again in Spanish so I can finally read it in my native language.
Rereading books is always an interesting experience—much like revisiting old songs you once loved, but with a fresh perspective. As we grow and go through new experiences, familiar passages take on new meanings, resonating in ways they didn’t before. It’s refreshing because stories often linger in our minds as fragments, yet rereading reveals forgotten details and hidden layers. Always an adventure!