Why do we keep returning to authors we first read as students?

I’ve had a copy of *Ulysses* on my shelf for thirty years. Every few years I pick it up, tell myself this is the time, and usually make it past the first few pages of Leopold Bloom’s morning before finding something else to do. It’s a point of pride I suppose, a challenge I keep meaning to meet. But I never *quite* get there. Now, this idea that we all keep returning to authors we first read as students, I suspect it’s a bit of a myth, at least for most people here. It sounds like something someone says who had a long train commute and a diverse reading list at university, which frankly, isn’t most of us. You see, the school curriculum, especially in secondary school, it’s often very specific, mostly Maltese literature for the exams. And once those exams are done, that’s often it. The joy of reading for pleasure, it’s a quieter thing here. You see people on the beach in summer, or in a café when it’s cooler, not so much on the Gozo ferry, which is really just about getting from A to B. So, the notion of a rich, diverse student reading list that encourages a deep, lifelong connection to specific authors, it feels a bit like an outsider’s projection. It makes me wonder if the question itself is flawed. Are we really *returning* to these authors, or are some of us, perhaps, trying to *finish* them, or understand them differently, now that the pressure of an exam isn't hanging over our heads? It’s less about nostalgia and more about a lingering curiosity, maybe even a bit of unfinished business. That idea of revisiting old texts, it happens, yes, but it’s rarely a grand literary reunion. It’s more like a quiet re-evaluation, a second look at something you were perhaps too young or too busy to appreciate properly the first time around. So, if we *do* find ourselves drawn back to books from our student days, it’s often because they challenged us, or because they promised something more than we grasped then.

Ulysses: Wordsworth Collector’s Editions

This one’s a challenge, isn't it? If you were made to read *Ulysses* as a student, chances are you either loved it or hated it, with very little in between. But if you’re coming back to it now, years later, it’s probably because you feel there’s more to uncover, more layers to peel back. It’s a book that rewards persistence and a different kind of maturity, offering a sprawling view of a single day that you might actually appreciate more as an adult, without the pressure of having to write an essay on it.

The Mayor of Casterbridge: Wordsworth Classics

Thomas Hardy, you either got him or you didn't. His Wessex is a bleak place, full of unforgiving choices and tragic consequences. If you’re returning to *The Mayor of Casterbridge*, it’s likely because the stark realism and the examination of human character, flawed as it often is, resonates differently now. The themes of fate and free will, of ambition and regret, they hit harder when you’ve got a few more years under your belt.

The Story of Art (Pocket Edition)

Gombrich's *The Story of Art* isn’t just a textbook, it’s a journey. If you encountered this as a student, it probably felt like a lot to take in. But returning to it as an adult, perhaps with a newfound appreciation for art or a clearer sense of history, it becomes a guide. It helps you connect the dots, understand the movements and the artists in a way that might have been lost on a younger, less experienced mind.

Man’s Search For Meaning: The classic tribute to hope from the Holocaust

Frankl’s book isn't an easy read, especially when you’re young and perhaps haven’t faced significant hardship. As students, we might have grasped the historical context, but the profound philosophical questions about purpose and suffering, about finding meaning in the darkest places, these are things that often only truly sink in with life experience. Coming back to this book as an adult can offer a completely different, much deeper perspective. Perhaps it’s less about returning, and more about finally understanding.

Curated by BookClub.com.mt — Malta’s independent online bookshop.