Rereadings

A Bibliophile's Journey: Revisiting the Books That Shaped Us

Is a book the same book—or a reader the same reader—the second time around? In this witty and poignant collection, seventeen renowned authors, including Sven Birkerts, Allegra Goodman, Vivian Gornick, Patricia Hampl, Phillip Lopate, and Luc Sante, revisit the books that made a deep impression in their youth. From Pride and Prejudice to Sue Barton, Student Nurse, and even the lyrics on the back of the Sgt. Pepper album, these essays explore the powerful relationship between reader and book, and how it evolves over time.

Edited by Anne Fadiman, author of the bestselling Ex Libris, Rereadings offers a unique blend of memoir and literary criticism. Each essay is a miniature memoir that focuses on the protean nature of love—the love between reader and book. These personal reflections reveal as much about the reader as the book itself, highlighting the ways in which our most beloved works shape and change us. A must-read for any bibliophile, Rereadings reminds us that no love is more life-changing than the love of a book.