Quotes About Literature

Writers obviously have to bear witness to the harsh face of the age.

The novel succeeds on terms exclusive to literature. A good film succeeds on terms exclusive to the cinema. That's why so many bad novels can become good movies, like 'Jaws' or 'The Godfather.'

Let Sporus tremble—"What? that thing of silk,Sporus, that mere white curd of ass's milk?Satire or sense, alas! can Sporus feel?Who breaks a butterfly upon a wheel?"

Satire's my weapon, but I'm too discreetTo run amuck, and tilt at all I meet.

The bookful blockhead, ignorantly read, With loads of learned lumber in his head.

Such labored nothings, in so strange a style,Amaze th' unlearn'd, and make the learned smile.

The mob of gentlemen who wrote with ease.

Ev'n copious Dryden wanted, or forgot,The last and greatest art—the art to blot.

Next o'er his books his eyes began to roll,In pleasing memory of all he stole.

Whether thou choose Cervantes' serious air,Or laugh and shake in Rabelais' easy chair.

Some judge of authors' names, not works, and thenNor praise nor blame the writings, but the men.

Authors are partial to their wit, 'tis true, But are not critics to their judgment, too?

Some judge of authors' names, not works, and then nor praise nor blame the writings, but the men.

He is the English Horace

A perfect judge will read each work of wit With the same spirit that its author writ

Those half-learn'd witlings, num'rous in our isle As half-form'd insects on the banks of Nile

Tis hard to say, if greater want of skill Appear in writing or in judging ill

A Lumberhouse of books in ev'ry head, For ever reading, never to be read.

Ten censure wrong for one who writes amiss

The illness with which he'd been smittenshould have been analyzed when caught,something like spleen, that scourge of Britain,or Russia's chondria, for short.

Classics aren't books that are read for pleasure. Classics are books that are imposed on unwilling students, books that are subjected to analyses of "levels of significance" and other blatt, books that are dead.

The goal of reading every night is not to teach your child how to learn to read. That can be my job. The point of reading every night is beginning a conversation, making connections, learning the language of books, and sharing a love of literature.

Unto those Three Things which the Ancients held impossible, there should be added this Fourth, to find a Book Printed without erratas.

I think the proposition still holds good that men of letters who aspire to high distinction do well not to disdain altogether the politics of their time.