Rereadathon! That is a thing that has been happening this past week (and continues until Wednesday, if you have any pressing things to reread), not that you'd know it from being around this blog... I HAVE FAILED AT EVERYTHING AND I LOVE UPDATING ABOUT READATHONS, SERIOUSLY!
But anyway. If anyone would like to hear my excuses, I have them and they involve smooshing almost the same amount of work hours into fewer days last week, using the easter weekend to clean, shop, and eat (with a tiiiiiny bit of reading Watchmen which I have fully left at my parents' house), and every single evening doing yoga I am not even kidding. It cuts into my reading time, sure, but do you know how relaxed I am basically all the time now? It is a lot.
Anyway. Why am I even bothering to update you now, I hear you cry? Well. This evening I juuuust finished Eleanor and Park and it is worth talking about because OH MY GOD THIS BOOK. So I first read E&P during one of the 24 hour readathons and I liked it plenty because Rainbow Rowell is a genius and should just write all the things. After I read it, though, I saw everyone everywhere saying it was their favourite Rowell book and I never thought of it as mine because, although I am loathe to pick a favourite, I probably lean more towards Fangirl or Attachments than any of the others (maybe).
But. Oh my god. I think I absolutely read Eleanor and Park too quickly last time because this time? It broke my heart. Shattered it. I'm not ok! Will I be ok again? I'm not entirely convinced. I do now completely understand people saying it's their favourite Rowell (although I'm still not willing to choose!) but more than anything else, I want to emphasise the importance of the reread. Because my GOD! Eleanor and Park could have just passed me by as a very-good-but-not-the-best book, and now I'm just full of the belief that it is The Best. I'd be pretty happy to reread it again right now, if I'm completely honest.
My plan for the next two days is to reread To Kill A Mockingbird, but I've got work tomorrow and a LOT of errands to do on Wednesday (multiple locations and everything!), plus all that yoga, so it might not pan out that way. But even if it doesn't, I've had the best rereading experience with Eleanor and Park and I'm most sincerely thanking Ms. Bex for hosting this grand week and a half of rereading. Even if I only reread one book each time, it's still going to be worth it to revisit some of the very best books I've ever read.
Oh yes, I think Eleanor and Park is my favourite (at least, it's the only one I've read twice so far) but it made me ugly-cry both times!
ReplyDeleteI do very much appreciate the way rereading a book clarifies things and makes you notice shizzle you didn't the first time around. It happens for me mostly because I used to fly through books SO FAST as a kid/teenager, and also obviously there were references I didn't understand and stuff, so NOOOOOW when I reread them I totally get all the little things without having to rush through to see what happens. Also I didn't used to be a book crier but now I am, so pages are finally getting the soakings they deserved all along.
ReplyDeleteLike, I'm rereading Dorian Gray, and OH MY GOD so many touchings of shoulders and blushings and little compliments that my teenage brain skipped over because I was all about the gothic corruption angle, whereas now I'm literally writing over and over in the margin, "GAY. SO GAY. SOOOO GAY. JEEZ GET A ROOM. DORIAN STOP FLIRTING WITH THE BAD MAN HE'LL MELT YOUR BRAIN. BASIL STOP MOONING YOU'RE TOTALLY BEING CREEPY NOW" etc etc. So much fun. :D
I have been thinking of re-reading E&P but I am hesitant because of said heart shattering.
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