The "last book you read" topic got me to thinking about authors (or books) you read again. Now I'm not talking about the latest installment by a favorite, but those you have read and go back to. I usually read 3 or 4 books at a time - some variation of a new book (fiction and/or non), an old fiction revisited, and one or two compendiums of a "classic".
A few come to mind.
J.R.R. Tolkien and Robert E. Howard - Favorites since childhood. Tolkien's absurd level of detail and connections, and the stories themselves stand alone in the field; and I go through the books again every couple of years.
The Silmarillion is my "go-to" usually. Howard, one of the earliest "pulp-fiction" writers always amazes me at how a young man in rural Texas could learn about other parts of the world and write so vividly you would think he had been there. The adventures of his El-Borak character in British-controlled Afghanistan proved to be an incredibly accurate depiction of the region and peoples.
Mark Twain - I'm a fan of his wit and curmudgeonly insight, and work through
The Complete Mark Twain repeatedly. I have come to enjoy the short stories and speeches in particular, and am reminded of
About Barbers once a month... as will any man who experiences the peculiar environment of the old-school barber shop.
Emerson - Another "complete" anthology of his essays, letters and other writings; my wife and I read his essays aloud to each other. Although criticized by his unorthodox style, there is a cadence - or "melody" - to his prose that is soothing once you find it. The words can wash over you like song lyrics you didn't quite catch, or are unsure of. You find new meaning, or things that you didn't pick up on each time. I've been reading him for over 30 years.
Kahlil Gibran's
The Prophet, Marcus Aurelius'
Meditations and Bill Watterson's
Calvin and Hobbes - Short and profound thoughts to start your morning (although Watterson more often simply prompts a smile).
So, what authors do you find worth of a re-read; and why?
Bookmarks