Reading.
Some people love it, some people hate it, but it was inevitably part of your school experience. The only problem with that is, unfortunately, so often books are made unenjoyable by the environment in which they are taught.
But, now that you're older and can read on your own time and interpret the book the way you want to and not the way your teaching is telling you too, everything you had to suffer through in high school English is worth reexamining. Maybe you'll still hate Kate Chopin just as much as you did the first time around, but maybe, with the help of your increased intelligence and maturity, your opinion might change.
Here are 5 reasons you should reread books you were assigned in high school:
1. You can actually read it this time.
We all did this at some point in high school: there's a book we have to read for class, but there's also a Schmoop article that perfectly summarizes it so you took the test and passed without actually reading it. Good for you, your grade, and all the time you saved by Schmooping the book instead of reading it but go back and read it! There's a reason someone decided it was worth being a part of the curriculum.
2. You'll appreciate it more.
Chances are, you were about 16 when you read "Frankenstein" or "1984." While its great if you read the classics at a young age, they are certainly worth reexamining once your worldview changes. Character and actions that once made so much sense might seem foolish now. Or books that were once boring enough to put you to sleep as you read it might've become action-packed and stimulating now that you've learned to appreciate more sophisticated things.
3. The book has changed since you last read it.
The first time you are introduced to a more adult or classic novel the themes and ideas may seem abstract. It has ideas and messages that belong only on the pages of fiction and has no meaning in real life. But, upon rereading a book, you might discover that the author's message is actually very relevant, and one worth reexamining every now and again.
4. You hated it the first time.
Why? Because the teacher beat your class over the head with "symbolism?" Because you had to read it for class? Because it was boring? Maybe, if you read it on your own time and can make of it what you want, you might come to enjoy it. Often, the problem is not so much the text as it is how it is presented. But, when you reread it on your own, you are the master of your reading experience.
5. Reading it will make you more "in the know."
Catch 22.
Big Brother.
Wild goose chase.
These are all phrases you either have encountered, or will encounter before you go to the grave. These phrases, and so many others, were invented by authors. Perhaps you're content to simply know the phrases, or you could know where they come from. Their origin is somewhere in a book that people deciding was worth reading and, more importantly, worth remembering.
