There’s something effortlessly comforting about reading an old favourite book. It’s like settling into a worn armchair, slipping into a position that’s been yours and the same for years. The familiar characters like old friends, the that words sit easily under your eyes, half stored in memory and half well-worn worn paper. There’s nothing scary about it; no plot twists you know will devastate you and no disappointing ending that ruins the book for you. You’ve been here before, you know the story, it’s always the same. But still, it isn’t boring. It’s easy, and it’s lovely.
At the minute, I have piles and piles of books in my bedroom, unread and unexplored, yet I still find myself reading the same books over again. Sometimes it’s the exquisitely evocative detail, sometimes it’s the characters that I adore and long to be, and sometimes I don’t really know what draws me back – I just like the book! Anyway, if you’re looking for some new stories to explore, here are a few of my favourites, both old and new, but reread many times.
The Virgin Suicides, Jeffrey Eugenides
Set in 1970s American suburbia, the ethereally hazy lives of the adolescent Lisbon sisters are documented by the boys who worshipped them without ever knowing them. Beautifully haunting, and one of the few books where the film adaption (Sofia Coppola, 1999) lives up to the novel.
A Summer of Drowning, John Burnside
Poetic, dreamlike; both exposed and claustrophobic. The setting of a tiny island in the Arctic Circle where the sun doesn’t set is captivating, and Scandinavian mythology is almost woven throughout this story of a young woman’s experiences of tragic events throughout the summer.
Rosemary’s Baby, Ira Levin
Rosemary Woodhouse, a young woman in 1960s New York, begins to suspect her neighbours and husband of conspiring against her after becoming pregnant under frightening circumstances. The growing infantilization and isolation of Rosemary contribute to the suspense and a building sense of unease throughout the book, more unsettling even than Polanski’s 1968 film adaption as the reader becomes more familiar with the character.
The Earth Hums in B Flat, Mari Strachan
I’ve been reading this book repeatedly since I was given it at the age of 12, and Strachan’s descriptions are still some of my favourites. Set in a small village in 1950s Wales, this book effortlessly weaves the grim realities and dramas of a murder mystery with the dreamy magic of imagination.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Although my love for Audrey Hepburn’s enchanting Holly Golightly runs deep, I have to admit that I vastly prefer the novella to the iconic 1961 film. The subtleties and strengths of Capote’s writing and characterisation are lost in translation, and I’m endlessly surprised when fans of the film don’t know the book. If you’ve ever admired Hepburn’s effortless grace in the film, I implore you: read the book and you will fall in love.#
The Picture of Dorian Grey
Wilde’s ‘Dorian Gray’, with its luscious and extravagant prose, is an absolute masterpiece and a scathing critique of Victorian society. The first time I picked up this book, I didn’t move until I’d finished it, and every subsequent reading has been the same. Don’t be put off by the publication date – Wilde’s only novel remains accessible and relevant despite its age, and transports you instantly to the sights and smells of a century ago.
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