On re-reading

Excess of it.

Do you read novels and discard them?  Or do you re-read?

Among other books, I am currently re-reading The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson.  The perfect book for an artist.  How many times have I read it?  Probably at least ten.

The appeal for me comes from the many aspects that are interwoven in the story.  The main character is a scarred individual, in more ways than one.  His upbringing was turbulent and without other skills, he was soon an actor in adult films.  He was smart however, and soon directed, until he was in a car accident which burned him, leaving him physically scarred and missing some key elements necessary for his previous acting career.

His accident and medical journey following are documented throughout the book.  While hard to read at times, I like this aspect of the book, as I come from a medical family and can become very involved in hospital talk.

In his twist of fate, he meets a psych patient, who is an artist.  She carves gargoyles and does so in a definite manic state, without eating, other than coffee, literally from the tin.  He turns to his other love of learning and consumes as much information about her mental state as he can.  During their time together, she recounts their history, which she claims took place in medieval Germany.  The story is beautifully interlaced and seamless in its ending.  It is the only real story of love that I have read, that is not physically explicit, but rather mentally and artistically.

When I like books, I love them.  I cannot tell you how many favourite novels I have read and re-read when the mood strikes me.  Like music, there is a time and place for every piece and I can pick the perfect book off the shelf for any occasion.

What novels have you been unable to put down time after time?