Précis 5

Now, Read it Again

Like old friends and favorite haunts, some books reward revisiting

 

Link: http://www.newsweek.com/2009/06/26/now-read-it-again.html

What proves our love for certain books and their characters better than the worn-out paperbacks we own?

We may have ambitious reading plans, yet we keep going back to our favourite novels. For most of people, such a habit seems to require some sort of explanation or justification – but does it really? In fact, is there any difference between a fully justified, scholarly perusal of a novel and its an unpretentious, comforting, yet another reading? Those most widely re-read: Dickens, Austen and Shakespeare seem to fit both purposes simultaneously – and perfectly too, for that matter. Our rereads are our refuge and our promised land - a place where we form friendships, sometimes even better and stronger and in real life.

There are so many reasons that keeps us glued to the particular story for years. Well-loved characters. Well-known and therefore safe settings. Voices we love to hear over and over again. Phrases we recall every now and then. Favourite anecdotes. A particular style of writing. Sometimes it is even as though the authors themselves have become our close friends in the process.

Whatever the reason, one thing is clear – our beloved rereads reveal, very efficiently, quite a lot about ourselves – and probably more than we would like to. Maybe this- and not those numerous new volumes, untouched by us- is where our sense of shame for being reread addicts comes from?

Vocabulary:

1. haunt (n, countable) - a place that you go to often: The restaurant became one of her favorite haunts. I went back to visit my old childhood haunts.
2. to teem with (phrasal verb), usually used as (be) teeming with- to be full of (life and activity); to have many (people or animals) moving around inside: The river was teeming with fish.; streets teeming with shoppers - sometimes used figuratively: My mind is teeming with ideas. - teeming (adjective ▪ the city's teeming [=bustling] streets
3. mob (n, countable) - a large group or crowd of people who are angry or violent or difficult to control: The angry mob smashed store windows and attacked people on the streets. ▪ The police had to be called in to handle/disperse the growing/gathering mob.
   - informal - a large number of people —usually + of ▪ On our walk, we were passed by a mob of bicycle riders. —often plural: Mobs of teenagers filled the room. The team was greeted by mobs of excited fans.
4. gaiter (n, countable) - a cloth or leather covering or worn over the lower part of the leg especially to keep the legs and ankles dry when hiking —usually plural ▪ a pair of gaiters
5. tribute (n, countable) - something that you say, give, or do to show respect or affection for someone: The concert was a tribute to the musician. Yellow ribbons were tied on trees as a tribute to the soldiers at war.
6. perennial (adj) - existing or continuing in the same way for a long time: Hot dogs are a perennial favorite at barbecues. [=people always like to eat hot dogs at barbecues]

- happening again and again: Flooding is a perennial problem for people living by the river.

7. dab (n) - a quick, small touch: She gave her eyes a few dabs with a handkerchief.
   - a small amount of something: a dab of paint ; You've got a dab of ice cream on your shirt.; a dab of butter/perfume
8. whodunit (n, informal) - a novel, play, or movie about a murder where you do not know who committed the murder until the end: It was both a page-ripping whodunit and an admired literary novel.; the classic whodunit as exemplified by Agatha Christie.
9. pitcher (n, countable) - the player who throws the ball to the batter in baseball: He was a great pitched in our league. Who's the best starting pitcher in your new division?
10. credulous (adj) - too ready to believe things, easily fooled or cheated: Few people are credulous enough to believe such nonsense.; a credulous audience