Here Are 15 Books That Are So Good, People Wish They Could Relive Reading Them Again For The First Time

    "This lingered for weeks after I finished it."

    Elizabeth Cotton
    by Elizabeth Cotton

    BuzzFeed Staff

    I'm sure a lot of us have that one book where we would do almost anything to experience reading it for the first time again...

    Nickelodeon

    So, when u/trinketsgoblin asked people to share the book they would love to read again for the first time, I decided to round up some of the best answers:

    1. The Count of Monte Cristo — Alexandre Dumas

    Cover of "The Count of Monte Cristo" by Alexandre Dumas, showing a stormy sea and a distant castle
    Penguin

    u/Shadowmereshooves

    "It is so good. You can see why so many later stories and TV shows copied the premise."

    u/marketlurker 

    2. East of Eden — John Steinbeck

    Illustration of a book cover for "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck, featuring a man with a pensive expression
    Penguin

    "I took my time reading it, but it felt like I was watching the most dramatic show with the most dramatic characters." 

    u/Admirable_Art_9769

    3. The Secret History — Donna Tartt

    Book cover of "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt with a golden emblem and praise from The Times
    Penguin

    "This was like the juiciest gossip and I could not get enough. I was gripped in a way that few things have made me feel like since reading this." 

    u/piratesdayoff

    "This LINGERED for weeks after I finished it. I kept having flashbacks to a particularly shocking scene. It really emotionally affected me."  

    u/sehaugust

    4. Rebecca — Daphne Du Maurier

    Book cover of "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier with large red flowers and ornate title text
    Virago

    u/Such-Course-7440

    "Yes! I read this recently and immediately felt the urge to flip back to page one and start it again. I NEVER feel that way. It’s just so good." 

    u/sargassum624

    5. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy — Douglas Adams

    Cover of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" with title and author Douglas Adams, featuring a cup on a saucer
    Pan

    "The book was a major point in my life in high school in altering my life path, and I wonder how it would be different reading it for the first time many years later." 

    u/Pope_Asimov_III

    6. Lonesome Dove — Larry McMurty

    Cover of "Lonesome Dove" by Larry McMurtry with a cowboy silhouette on a horse
    Pan

    u/Bolgini

    "Me too. What an achingly joyful experience that book is."  

    u/Big-Elephant6141

    7. The Picture of Dorian Gray — Oscar Wilde

    Cover of "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde, featuring a painted portrait of a young man in a white coat
    Penguin

    "There's something about that book, so dark, so whimsical, it gave me such a 'high' and I have been chasing that ever since. I think it's one of those books that you just can't stop reading, the more you read the more interesting it gets." 

    u/Next-Pepper-4761

    8. Flowers for Algernon — Daniel Keyes

    Book cover of "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes featuring a mouse on a maze-patterned background
    Gateway

    "One of my favourites, and such a unique read."

    u/compulsiveshay

    "Oh god, I loved that book sooo much but I can’t bring myself to read again knowing what happens."  

    u/Zedsee99

    9. House of Leaves — Mark Z. Danielewski

    Cover of "House of Leaves" by Mark Z. Danielewski, featuring a dark doorway with the text overlaid
    Doubleday

    "It's one of the first books that genuinely made me look over my shoulder at night and get creeped out. I would love to experience that mounting feeling of dread again. I've attempted rereads and it doesn't have quite the same spark." 

    u/funkyfeelings

    10. Piranesi — Susanna Clarke

    Book cover of "Piranesi" by Susanna Clarke featuring accolades and a figure on a statue horse
    Bloomsbury Publishing

    u/floflotheartificier

    "I would LOVE to experience Piranesi for the first time again! The ending fell flat for me, but the first half/two-thirds were fantastic!" 

    u/Haunting-Sea-6868

    11. A Series of Unfortunate Events — Lemony Snicket

    Cover of "A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning" by Lemony Snicket, featuring Count Olaf
    Farshore

    "I would give anything to have my mind blown again the way it was when I read the series for the first time in elementary school." 

    u/BigBoiBeni1303

    12. Cirque Du Freak — Darren Shan

    Cover of "Cirque Du Freak" by Darren Shan featuring a vampire holding a spider within ornate borders
    Harper Collins Children's Books

    u/ShadowGrund

    "These books got me into reading and I never see any love for them. Happy to finally see it here." 

    u/FleetofSnails

    13. And Then There Were None — Agatha Christie

    Cover of "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie, featuring silhouette figures and title text
    Harper Collins

    "I would love to be able to read it again, not knowing the ending."

    u/Present-Flamingo9394

    "I used to teach this as a junior and high school English teacher, and it was so fun watching the students experience it for the first time. I had a number of students go on to read a lot more in general but also to read more Christie. It's such a fun book!"  

    u/GirlInTheGarden22

    14. The Stand — Stephen King

    Book cover of Stephen King's "The Stand" with a person on a vehicle and desolate backdrop
    Hodder Paperbacks

    u/Numb1990

    "This book had me on page one and never let go. Oh, to relive that journey again for the first time." 

    u/Apocalypstick1

    15. The Road by Cormac McCarthy

    Book cover of "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy, featuring silhouettes of two figures within a fiery shape
    Picador

    u/Greg428

    "I was not prepared for the emotional devastation that comes with reading this book." 

    u/porpoisewang

    "Just finished reading it for the first time a few nights ago. I was crying my damn eyes out over the last pages. Don’t know if I could read it again."  

    u/Sam_Loka

    H/T to u/trinketsgoblin and r/books for having this discussion!

    Note: All submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.

    Do you have anything else to add? Let me know in the comments below.

    Additional thumbnail credits: NBC / Fox / The WB / Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures