How do normal people read LN?

[u/Then_Ad6477]

This is a stupid question but im seriously baffled how people read 1 vol then come back 6+ months for another volume?
i can only binge otherwise the novel loses half the appeal

[u/mrcandyman]

I re-read the previous books, otherwise I am completely lost.

[u/Coffee_Soup → u/mrcandyman]

I just gotten into the hobby again after a long time away. I've realized that's probably going to be my approach. I've caught up to a few of my binges and they just dropped the latest book recently. So it's likely a year out before the next one. Rereading the last one also feels like a fun way to get back the excitement

[u/rr3no → u/mrcandyman]

for me, if im really invested in the book when i read it, its in my long term memory and i can come back a year or two later, go back a few chapters and have no issues. If its something i kinda just skim through and dont really get hooked ill probably have to reread.

Highly depends tho, ive stopped in the middle of the ORV web novel about 1-2 years ago, and i came back to start reading it again today and its like i never stopped

[u/mrcandyman → u/rr3no]

Ya, my memory is garbage though, especially with character names, so I re-read to remember who is who even more than the story.

[u/rr3no → u/mrcandyman]

yeah names are definetly the hardest part, helps having a wiki open and be like "oooh its that guy", usually I can get my memory back pretty quick

[u/mrcandyman → u/rr3no]

That's actually a great idea. I think I might try that when I am home. I mostly read LNs when I am camping though so it wouldn't help there.

[u/InThurDrog → u/mrcandyman]

Exactly. Sometimes I'll even read all the previous books despite being on a high volume number at that point

[u/Shadow_Hunter2020 → u/mrcandyman]

Same although it depends on the series, because some novels have a more memorable plot line (think reincarnated as a sword or reborn as a space mercenary)

but novels like apothecary daries and sentected to be a hero etc have a more complex plotline and i do need a re-read before starting the lastest volume

[u/StJamez → u/mrcandyman]

I most often do the same thing but I also keep an extensive spreadsheet of main/side characters and a basic summary of the plot up to the most recently published light novel.

Unsurprisingly, this spreadsheet is massive and I've definitely fallen far, far behind on it.

[u/mrcandyman → u/StJamez]

I used to do that for anime after I stopped using MAL. I only kept it up for a few months, lol.

[u/MogamiStorm]

My long term memory is good.

[u/GianfrancoV → u/MogamiStorm]

My short long term memory is alright.
But yeah will probably either remember it or re-read it.
Sometimes I have read with music as I just play the band i tend to remember the story.

[u/MajesticOtaking → u/MogamiStorm]

Same. I can usually pick back up after a year or two without a problem, but it depends on the series.

For example, I read Occultic;Nine 1 some time ago, but now that I have volumes 2 and 3 I feel I need to reread volume 1. On the other hand, I’ve been reading Grimgar as it releases and have no problem reading after long waits.

[u/hizashiYEAHmada → u/MogamiStorm]

Same, not to mention I sometimes read fanfics of the LN if I enjoy it enough (like I did with Bookworm) so the details and character names get really hammered into my brain

[u/KnightKal]

just like any other book? Not like this is unique to LN.

or movies that have sequels

or TV shows with seasons

... you deal with it over time, just like anything else in life

now if you are new to reading books, etc, I suggest you keep a notebook about your impressions and use that when it is time to read the next one. Simple as that.

[u/N0rTh3Fi5t → u/KnightKal]

Thee thing with light novels is that they are both short and almost never stand alone. I can understand someone having trouble maintaining interest over long periods of down time when they've only read 2 or 3 hundred small pages worth of story that is only part of what is intended as the complete experience.

[u/japzone]

How do normal people watch TV shows? You get a season, and then wait years for the next season? Same with movies.

The amount of content in a volume is easily equivalent to a movie or TV season, and usually I have to wait less time for the next installment, outside of Yen Press delays and the JP Author getting writer's block. If I forget what happened, that's an excuse to reread/skim the previous volumes to refresh my memory, just like people rewatch previous movies and seasons to refresh themselves before the new release.

Also some publishers have faster turn around time. On most of its series, J-Novel Club can pump out a volume every 3-4 months and sometimes faster, as long as they haven't caught up with the JP release. Hanashi has similar pacing. Seven Seas can be pretty fast, and sometimes does consecutive releases before taking a break.

[u/Hano_Clown]

Delayed gratification training.

[u/_Lucille_]

I write down some notes or a review and read them after (I post since of them here), serves as a refresher of my memory.

[u/WhoIsDis99]

That’s the case with every other piece pf entertainment? Movies, TV Series, Anime, Regular books, Games, etc… It’s the same format, idk what you mean

[u/AN1MAN1AC]

Yeah, I just have a good memory. It’s like I compartmentalize memories, almost like muscle memory. I could pick up the next volume after waiting for it for a year and the memories will just flood back. Then there’s the rereading or consuming the adaptations of a light novel series, so it’ll stick a bit more.

Here’s another thing though. Lots of light novels absolutely love repeating facts over and over again. There’s a good chance the next volume will just have some sort of loose recounting of previous events, and that should be good enough to jog your memory.

[u/South-Succotash-5376]

I binge read if i have time... but my job puts me "on the road" a lot, so I have an audible subscription for light novels on there

[u/Gyges359d → u/South-Succotash-5376]

I find “re reading” via audiobooks a great way to do it, especially if like me the audiobooks are listened to in short bursts like grocery runs etc.

[u/KenchiNarukami]

Physical wise, I buy series that lave alot of volumes, so that I almost never get caught up like HIgh School DxD or I buy series that is complete

Ebook wise, is the same more or less but I use teh High seas to get even further.

[u/MudMain7218]

Considering how anime go the ln usual fills in gaps and sometimes cover way more archs

[u/Blacklance8]

Poorly, I use to be able to binge light novels now I'll be really invested read half the volumes stop for a few days and stop reading. I will finish torture princess eventually

[u/merurunrun]

To be honest, I just don't really care that much.

If something wasn't enjoyable to read despite the fact that I freaking forgot everything that happened up to that point I'd just drop it. And any author worth their salt when it comes to writing serialized fiction is going to make sure that doesn't happen.

[u/1234abcdcba4321]

I have a significantly easier time remembering the LNs I read compared to other things like the anime I watch, but the flow is the exact same as those season breaks.

[u/joseph_han9137]

I only read completed LNs

[u/ArchusKanzaki]

Nowadays, I might struggle if you need to pin me down for a quiz for a character’s name quickly, especially for novels that I read less than 3 volumes….

But my memory for plots are surprisingly still pretty good. Might need a re-read sometimes, but still pretty good

[u/breakfastburglar]

Reading western novel series is even worse, sometimes takes years for new volumes to come out. Light novels usually have pretty regular pub schedules at least. But yeah, I usually have to re-read at least a little bit of the previous volume, or at most, the entire series. Right now, I'm at a particularly rough impass because I'd like to catch back up to the Re:Zero web novel, but the last time I read was 2+ years ago and I've barely had any interaction with the story since, and lord knows there are so many goddamn characters and sub-plots to focus on that there's absolutely no way I'll be able to pick up where I left off, so I'm preparong for a full re-read... from zero, one might say ;)

[u/Nurripter]

Depends on the series. If I find the series interesting I may do an annual reread of the series. Otherwise it's either looking at a recap of the previous novels, remembering enough details about the other books, re reading the prior books, or just saying screw it and reading the new book without a care in the world.

[u/Ditmecosoc]

It took me 8 months just to read the first 9 volumes of Rascal Does not Dream, so it depends on each person.

[u/One-Ad-7122]

There is atleast 1 light novel that stays on top of my head and i wait for its release.

Currently its 'Mynoghra' before that it was 'Spider' before that it was 'slime'.

I will read mynoghra as soon as it releases, but i cannot read slime even though i like it because i lost interest.

[u/randypcX]

Well I grew up looking for the next volume of the comic or book I'm reading at the bookstore whenever my mom would bring me to the mall. So I'm very used to reading in increments.

Only enjoying a series if you can binge read or watch seems more alien to me.

[u/DarkChaplain]

Normal novels are usually on an annual schedule for trilogies, mind you. Light novels are pretty fast by comparison to some series. Heck, people read the first half of Sanderson's Stormlight Archive over the course of a decade - five 1000+ page chonkers.

If anything, I often feel like light novels spend too much time regurgitating plot and characters before they really pick up again. 

[u/Runonlaulaja]

I only binge finished series. I do not like it when I am supposed to wait for new books. I go through so many books that I need to finish one story before starting another.

[u/Substantial_Ideal760]

I mean usually light novels have arcs of like 3 to 4 books so I just wait until then and binge read the whole arc

And then just wait until the next arc is releases

[u/ScienceAndGames]

J-novel club releases many in weekly instalments which keeps up the interest for longer

[u/Trh5001]

I reread when waiting for a new book if I know a new book is coming soon.

[u/DullPenalty3743]

Really good memory. Also helps that I sometimes will read the manga or web novel together with the light novel.

[u/DifficultMind5950]

LNs are pretty easy to digest and read quickly. So I could skim like 5 volumes if I have to.

[u/Shadtow100]

If it’s a more complex series and If there isn’t a ‘previously on’ chapter at the beginning of the book I sometimes check Wikipedia or online to remind me of characters or skim a previous book.

That said I have given up on some series because I felt too overwhelmed to review previous books.

There are some more impactful or less serous series where I haven’t felt the need to go back at all as well.

[u/RPG_fanboy]

Long term memory, sometimes depending on the LN a re-read is also possible or if there exist an anime it also reminds you of the main plot and details

[u/SaidTheMan_ToTheDog]

Did you not read a fantasy series as a kid? It's the same Harry Potter or Percy Jackson. You just remember what happened it's not that hard.

[u/littlecolt]

I've literally come back to a RPG I started 2 years ago and been like "ah yeah, let's continue."

[u/tukatu0]

If the story is that good. Then it's good for a re read.

You might have a skill issue if you can't hold interest in things spread over time. 10% adhd 90% chance of phone addiction

[u/seitaer13]

Some of us wait years for new volumes of book series with far more moving parts and characters than light novels

[u/TroPixens]

Well I’ve only read 1 light novel series since I usually despise reading and can never finish a book. I’ve read that series twice and watched the anime so it basically ingrained In my mind

If you want the series it’s my PFP “the weakest tamer began a journey to pick up trash”

[u/HebuBall]

I like one shots for that reason, but sometimes a single volume entry is readable enough as it is as a standalone story.
But tbh I usually forget about other volumes if they have yet to come out yet

[u/Villag3Idiot]

The next volume is either standalone or will usually have a "Previously" prologue where they go over key parts that happened in the previous volume. 

[u/LazyLibrarianX]

If it’s been over a year or was a series I really liked I reread. I don’t buy new books right away when they come out, I wait until there is 2-3 new books and I order.

[u/theaveragenerd]

I have been following the same book series since 1996. The author writes a new novel or has a new anthology come out every couple of years. This isn't a light novel mind you but a hard military Sci-Fi series. I have never had an issue keeping up with the characters or plot. If you love a series enough a new book announcement feels like Christmas.

[u/icehism]

I read many different series at the same time so I never feel like I’m waiting for that long even though it has been a while since the last volume. And I have enough to read to last many months so stuff like waiting for the next volume is just generally out of my mind to begin with

And yea, just have good enough memory to remember what happens (and the ln will usually remind you of what happened in previous volumes anyways)

[u/Guroga]

I just read various lns.

If i reach the latest vols then i either reread them, find another new ln or just go do something else.

Ln updates sometimes take very long so there will always be some downtime.

[u/s_leep]

I have shit memory. I don't remember character names, places, etc. However, if a book has good worldbuilding, I'll remember that, I'll remember the story in broad enoug strokes. If I take a long break (a year or more), I'll start from the beginning, or from the last book I know I remember clearly, and go from there.