I Feel Sorry for People Who Read Books or Watch Films Only Once
Why “I know what’s going to happen” is an absurd reason not to revisit a classic.
I have never been able to understand those individuals who insist a great book or film should only be read or viewed once. The reason they invariably give is: “I know what’s going to happen, so what’s the point?” More than anything, such opinions always make me feel pity.
Obviously, each to their own. Reasoning of this kind is a product of personality, temperament, and other factors. Nonetheless, I cannot overstress how much this statement depresses me. To me, it’s like saying I don’t want to eat a strawberry because I know what it tastes like, or I don’t want to have sex because I already know how it feels. Or arguing Paul Combs should never listen to Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run again, because he’s already heard it. In short, this absurdly reductive viewpoint entirely overlooks the experiential element of consuming art.
To be fair, there are certain great books and films I never want to read or see again. No matter how brilliant James Joyce’s Ulysses might be, I can’t face trawling through it again. Nor do I want to revisit a number of brilliantly scripted, acted, and directed films that only a critic could love — think Amour, Foxcatcher, or Son…