PATRICIA: Have you ever slept on a boat before?A few days ago I finished rereading the Odyssey—I think this was the third time to completion. Among other things it brought back to mind a question I've asked myself before, whether it's better to read three great books once or one great book three times (or, indeed, whether they amount to somewhat the same thing). In the past year or so I've fallen out of the habit of having one of the 6–8 books I'm working through at a given time (not counting the Bible and Book of Common Prayer) be a reread. New ground is always so tempting, but I think it's a good discipline. But did I start a new-oldie after the Odyssey? Not yet anyway.
JOE: No.
PATRICIA: It really affects your dreams. I look forward to it. Even though, sometimes, the dreams really shake me up. Okay. Good night.
JOE: Good night.—John Patrick Shanley, Joe Versus the Volcano
One detail of Homer's plot that I was especially thrilled to rediscover is that Odysseus, the great wide-awake sefarer, sleeps through the whole of his final homeward voyage. The crew that's bringing him back to Ithaca carries him and his parting gifts ashore so he wakes on dry land. There's something very moving about that image, and its other ancient parallels: Jonah asleep in the hold of the storm-tossed ship that's (trying) to take him away from Ninevah and God's calling; and Jesus, asleep in the bow of a similarly wind-vexed boat on the Sea of Galilee, right before his disciples woke him up and he calmed the storm. Three great wanderers, asleep at the wheel.
1 comment:
I struggle with the re-reading versus reading something new. I feel like there's such a great number of great books that are out there, plus the vast number being published every year, that it's hard to spend the time on re-reading.
On the other hand, I usually buy the books that I think are worth re-reading; of course I have every intention of reading them again or I wouldn't buy something I've already read. Lately I've been trying to take advantage of our great library system and read as much new stuff as possible and save the stuff I own for when we move to Tribune and may not have such quick and easy access to so many books.
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