Quotes About Literature

Even bad books are books and therefore sacred.

A serious bibliophile never lends his books. In fact he does not even read his books, for fear of wearing them out.

Tous mes amis sont des mots.

That bastard Tolkien paints us dragons out to be a bunch of ignorant and repulsive savages. Well as far as I'm concerned, this Mr. Tolkien was a real low-hearted sonuvabitch.

Faulkner is a writer who has had much to do with my soul, but Hemingway is the one who had the most to do with my craft - not simply for his books, but for his astounding knowledge of the aspect of craftsmanship in the science of writing.

Ultimately, literature is nothing but carpentry. With both you are working with reality, a material just as hard as wood.

The words you can't find, you borrow. We read to know we're not alone. We read because we are alone. We read and we are not alone.

Who are these people who think a book comes with a guarantee that they will like it?

Do you like Moby Dick ?" he asks. "I hate it," she says. "And I don't say that about many things. Teachers assign it, and parents are happy because their kids are reading something of 'quality.' But it's forcing kids to read books like that that make them think they hate reading.

When I was in my twenties and broke, I'd buy books before food. A meal will sustain you for a few hours, a good book will sustain you for life.

If this were a novel, I'd stop reading right now. I'd throw it across the room.

There's something kind of heroic about being a bookseller.

My life is in these books. Read these and know my heart. We are not quire novels. We are not quite short stories. In the end, we are collected works.

A place is not really a place without a bookstore.

There ain't nobody in the world like book people. It's a business of gentlemen and gentlewomen.

Everyone thinks they have good taste, but most people do not have good taste. In fact, I'd argue that most people have terrible taste. When left to their own devices—literally their own devices—they read crap and they don't know the difference.

Infinite Jest is a masterpiece," Harvey had said. " Infinite Jest is an endurance contest. You manage to get through it and you have no choice but to say you like it. Otherwise, you have to deal with the fact that you just wasted weeks of your life," A.J. had countered. "Style, no substance, my friend.

I always wanted to try the Turkish Delight in Narnia. When I read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe as a boy, I used to think that Turkish Delight must be incredibly delicious if it made Edmund betray his family," A.J. says. "I guess I must have told my wife this, because one year Nic gets a box for me for the holidays. And it turned out to be this powdery, gummy candy. I don't think I've ever been so disappointed in my entire life.

Teachers assign it, and parents are happy because their kids are reading something of 'quality.' But it's forcing kids to read books like that that make them think they hate reading.

Bookstores attract the right kind of folk.

The Beauties" by Anton Chekhov, "The Doll's House" by Katherine Mansfield, "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" by J. D. Salinger, "Brownies" or "Drinking Coffee Elsewhere" both by ZZ Packer, "In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson Is Buried" by Amy Hempel, "Fat" by Raymond Carver, "Indian Camp" by Ernest Hemingway.

The thing about Shakespeare is you can only read his books if someone is making you.

E. A. Poe defines a short story as readable in a single sitting. I imagine a "single sitting" was longer back in his day. But I digress again.

My life is in these books, he wants to tell her. Read these and know my heart.