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BinstonBirchill t1_jdjw4fi wrote

I read Moby Dick at 40 based on an article talking about that being the best age to read it. I think there’s some truth to it. Younger readers can understand it too but it does take a certain mindset going in and some reflection afterwards.

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millera85 t1_jdksevh wrote

At 15, did not enjoy it at all. At 36, thought it was a masterpiece. But that goes for so many books. Anna Karenina at 12? Was underwhelmed. At 30? Was both enchanted and devastated. When I read Tess of the D’Urbervilles as a kid, I found it dull and it made so little impact on me that I barely remembered anything apart from it being depressing, having a sad ending, and a rough outline of the plot. I read it again when I was like 26 and it utterly destroyed me, to the point where I thought of it constantly for like a month.

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Aware-Mammoth-6939 t1_jdn6imw wrote

This is very true, but Madame Bovary was such a miserable experience, I don't think I'll go back to Flaubert.

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ragingliberty t1_jdk1pen wrote

I’m 40 now, and I haven’t read that since high school. You’ve inspired me to read it this year.

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BinstonBirchill t1_jdk36t2 wrote

Nice! It’s only I’ll be returning to before long for many reasons. There’s a good podcast that has an episode worth listening to as well. The Great American Novel podcast.

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Seby0815 t1_jdln4sp wrote

Yeah. My father told me once "You never read the same book twice, because you are a diffrent person every time you read it." And I think its true.

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