Rereading allows us to duplicate, to imitate the original feelings that the book created. It's much like watching a favorite movie or going to a familiar place. We're trying to recreate the original magic, and rereading a favorite allows us to duplicate that enchantment. In Dangerous Men and Adventurous Women , Kathleen Gilles Seidel makes these observations about rereading. We ought not to forget that reading romances is not the only thing human beings do repetitively.
Most leisure activities are compelling.
It's hard to stand up from a jigsaw puzzle. I have neighbors who might be candidates for a twelve-step program for compulsive gardeners. My husband has trouble turning off a baseball game. It's comforting and amusing to know that rereading romances is not an isolated activity when it comes to what people do repetitively. I'd much rather be rereading a good story than pulling weeds.