Re-read an assigned book

Great literature can also be a great source of pleasure

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.
Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is to try experiencing that uniquely grown up
pleasure of rereading a book you were once assigned to
read in school. A good literature teacher can make great

(00:27):
books come alive. Unfortunately, plenty of people went through school
having the opposite experience. Maybe a book wasn't taught well,
and sometimes even if it was, people resent being forced
to do things. Or perhaps your mind was on other
things in schools, such as sports or another activity, and
you skim through a book doing whatever was required to pass.

(00:51):
In any case, when I started reading seriously as an
adult a few years ago, I had a realization. And
I know this is obvious, but so it goes with epiphanies.
A lot of the literature assigned in school is assigned
because it is good. Really bad books don't get re
read for generations. In order to impress literature teachers who

(01:14):
read a lot, a book has to be pretty well
put together. And yes, you can drive a book into
the ground when you need to write a paper explaining
the recurring symbolism of I don't know that white Whale,
but still Moby Dick is incredibly entertaining. As an adult,
you don't need to write papers, and you can move
through a book at your own pace. So why not

(01:38):
revisit an assigned book and see if you can find
the pleasure in it. If you're not in the habit
of reading much, start with something short and relatively accessible.
The Great Gatsby is a good choice. The narrative follows
a handful of memorable characters through a series of parties.
There's enough action that you can read through it in

(01:59):
an afternoon. Hemingway is the Old Man, and the Sea
or the Sun also rises are likewise slim but memorable.
Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence is absolutely dazzling, and
generations have rediscovered and loved To Kill a Mockingbird. Or
you can consume literature in a different way. Untold numbers

(02:21):
of ninth graders have stumbled through Romeo and Juliette's Strange Spellings.
But Shakespeare is much better experienced in dramatic form, so
get a recording of one of his plays and listen
to it as you're commuting to work. I'd also note
that some authors have works that are more straightforward than others.

(02:41):
If you're picking up Virginia Wolf for the second time
as an adult, you'll want to The Lighthouse or Mrs Dollaway,
and probably not The Waves with James joyce Portrait of
the Artist as a young man is going to be
better with a rereading than Ulysses or Finnigot's Wake. But
next time you go to a library or bookstore, peruse

(03:02):
the book lists at Amazon, think about what books you
were assigned to read in high school or college. Pick
up one that seems relatively doable, then challenge yourself to
read just fifty pages. If it's not doing it for
you at that point, well feel free to abandon the book.
One of the upsides of reading voluntarily is that no

(03:24):
one can make you finish, but you just might find
yourself enjoying the experience, especially as you read through the
lens of having a lifetime of wisdom and context. You
might see things that you couldn't see as a young person.
And since no one is going to make you write
a paper, well it's really the best of all outcomes.

(03:45):
If you've read a book that you were once assigned,
please let me know. You can email me at Before
Breakfast podcast at ihart media dot com. In the meantime,
this is Laura. Thanks for listening and here's to making
the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to

(04:09):
hear from you. You can send me your tips, your questions,
or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook
and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod. That's B the number four,
then Breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me
an email at Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart media

(04:29):
dot com. That Before Breakfast is spelled out with all
the letters. Thanks so much, I look forward to staying
in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of I Heart Radio.
For more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i
heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to

(04:50):
your favorite shows.