[sabinerak]

This thread is making me feel almost normal, for better or worse.

It seems like in so many forums/newsgroups where there are similar book discussions, there seem to be a multitude of readers who regularly read an 800 page novel in an hour and remember every single detail of what they've read for the rest of their natural lives. Other people in those discussions seem to take these comments in stride, often exclaiming their own agreements, "Me too!"

I've rarely done more than silently lurk as I certainly don't remember all the details of everything I've read and it might take me a couple days to get through an 800 page novel if I make sure to forego everything else I need or want to be doing.

It seems that I remember more from books that take me longer to read. I remember spending almost a year on Tad William's Otherland since I was spending the majority of my free time on computer games and much less on reading in general, but I remember a *lot* from those books even though it's been many months/years since I've read them.

A book I read in a day earlier this year barely seems to scratch my memory even though I recall having liked it well enough, though not in a favorite sort of way.

I also remember more from books I've discussed with other people, though this seems to happen too rarely to work for most of the books I read. Rereading will also prompt my memory.

On a good note, I get a lot of enjoyment from rereading a book because I don't always remember everything that happened as well as picking up details I may have missed in earlier readings. I usually cannot reread a book just after I've finished reading it though. I usually have to let a bit of time pass first.