“I can’t imagine a man really enjoying a book and reading it only once.” — C.S. Lewis, Letter to Arthur Greeves (February 1932)
In the last few years, I've adopted the practice of re-reading good books. I still read new books, but I focus the bulk of my reading on circling back around to good books.
A good book rewards return visits.
“Those who read great works, on the other hand, will read the same work ten, twenty or thirty times during the course of their life.” — C.S. Lewis, The Reading Life: The Joy of Seeing New Worlds Through Others’ Eyes
There are some books worth reading once, but there are some that are worth reading over and over. A good book is not one you read simply to get through, but to get something out of. A great book has enough to supply subsequent visits. A great book moves with the times by staying put. Because it wasn't written to appease the prisoner of its particular moment, it is free to speak in principle to anyone at anytime in particular and to any one at different, particular times in his or her life..
Read good books.
Reread great ones.
“Master those books you have. Read them thoroughly. Bathe in them until they saturate you. Read and reread them…digest them. Let them go into your very self. Peruse a good book several times and make notes and analyses of it. A student will find that his mental constitution is more affected by one book thoroughly mastered than by twenty books he has merely skimmed. Little learning and much pride comes from hasty reading. Some men are disabled from thinking by their putting meditation away for the sake of much reading. In reading let your motto be 'much not many.'" ― Charles H. Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students
The best way to appreciate a good book is to know the Good Book. The Bible is the key to understanding and applying any other book. It is the legend that unlocks every other written word.. Whatever you do, read and reread your Bible. No book better exemplifies the reward of return visits than the Bible. It is a living Book. The principles contained never go out of style. They never cease being applicable.
"Visit many good books, but live in the Bible." ― Charles H. Spurgeon
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