Re-Reading Love Medicine

A couple of months ago, I read a post at Flitting on Fiction, which has been replaced with Flitting through Canadian Fiction (since Today.com keeps dropping the axe on some of their best blogs) about re-reading books. A lot of people re-read, but a lot don't.

I think that is why people enjoy libraries so much. They can read it once and not have to find a place to keep it.

I, however, keep and cherish my books. It's an obsession as much as a collection. I have always loved the look, feel, smell of books. I love the sound of the page turning. This is a huge part of why I do not want a kindle. I can see the appeal to people, especially those that travel a lot, but for me, I like the actual paper book.

I would love one day to have a house in which I can dedicate one room as a library. I am already running out of room for my books.

I don't re-read everything, though it's possible that in time I might.

I always re-read if a new book in a series comes out. For example, Adriana Trigiani's Big Stone Gap series. These are among some of my favorite books.

I have re-read a lot of books in college too. Books I read in High School that we covered again in college or in different classes in different years in college.

I don't re-read other books that often, but this week I picked up one I loved in college and haven't read since.

Louise Erdrich's Love Medicine.

I had gotten several books by Louise Erdrich from my wish list for Christmas. I was looking at them and decided I'd go back and re-read the book that made me love her as an author.

I am not certain if I simply forgot or just have a new appreciation for her work.

Her writing is so lyrical and poetic. She has a way of painting an image while allowing the words to flow like water. Erdrich, like many Native American authors, incorporates the traditional story telling into their written story. I think this is what gives it the fluidity and vivid imagery.

Her writing style reminds me a bit of Maya Angelou as well as Toni Morrison.

Love Medicine covers many themes including those common to all of us such as love, relationships, family, loss and the like.

She also covers themes intrinsic to the Native American/Indian (whichever term you prefer) experience. Themes like the old, traditional ways vs the new, American ways.

Some of the themes are layered atop each other because one is not possible without the other.

For example, the old vs the new holds within it the theme of the languages - English vs Chippewa, the religions - pagan vs Christian, the reservation vs the city and within that what it means to be an Indian. One theme I've found in many of her books is that of the reservation Indian vs the urban Indian and the dichotomy involved.

I always find it amazing how differently I read a book as I get older. Not only do I notice things I hadn't noticed before when I re-read, but at different ages, I process things differently. My take on the book changes each time.

Do you re-read books? Which are your favorite to re-read?

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