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Books and reading

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“If anyone has read a lot of books and thinks I am primitive because I have not read even one, then he should throw away those books and get one which says we are all brothers and sisters under God and we too have a right to live.”
Roy Sesana (born 1950) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“In old days books were written by men of letters and read by the public. Nowadays books are written by the public and read by nobody.”
Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) said by 1900 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Academic education is the act of memorizing things read in books, and things told by college professors who got their education mostly by memorizing things read in books.”
Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915) said by 1915 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The clerisy are those who read for pleasure, but not for idleness; who read for pastime but not to kill time; who love books, but do not live by books.”
Robertson Davies (1913–1995) said by 1995 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Books read in a public library never have the same flavour as books read in the attic or the kitchen.”
Alberto Manguel (born 1948) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“He read because it gave him instant gratification in a way nothing else did, and, as was the case with all addicts, gratification was the important thing. He liked history, travel, anthropology, cookbooks (which he read in the same way as other books for pleasure); he liked books with specialized information.”
Jeet Thayil (born 1959) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Read a lot, listen well and deeply, and write a lot. […] If you read good books, when you write, good books will come out of you.”
Natalie Goldberg (born 1948) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I don’t think I am green. It’s true I only know what I’ve read in books, but I’ve read a great many books.”
Georgette Heyer (1902–1974) first seen 1958 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Venetia (London: Heinemann, 1958).
“That control of being able to read books is why I am doing the exercise. I want to build my strength so I can sit down and just read my own books.”
Rose Obinga wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Though I had always liked books, any books, any written-down words or expressions, the ones I read as a child were always exotic. I never found myself in a book.”
Patricia Grace (born 1937) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“[In the United States, during the early 2000s, Rowling's books were burned by Evangelical Christians because they were perceived as promoting witchcraft.] Book burners, by definition, have placed themselves across a line of rational debate. There is no book on this planet that I would burn, including books that I do think are damaging. Burning, to me, is the last resort of people who cannot argue.”
J. K. Rowling (born 1965) first seen 2023 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Cited by Anita Singh in "JK Rowling: Black and white thinking on controversial issues should be abandoned" The Telegraph (21 February 2023)
“We must read history books, and do more than merely read them: we must learn, mark and inwardly digest what we have read. (Page 306)”
Obafemi Awolowo (1909–1987) said by 1987 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I remember being read to as a child. I read to my own son every night until he was able to read books for himself. I confess that I enjoyed it as much as he did. I did all the voices.”
Ingrid Andersen (born 1965) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“An Indian reading of the Bible is a reading from an Indian point of view: a reading guided by a sensibility shaped by Indian culture, and provoked by questions emerging from the Indian situation.”
George Soares-Prabhu (1929–1995) said by 1995 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Reading in both its literal and metaphoric senses is a crucial constituent of the problem of language, and it is reciprocally related to writing. A mode of reading implies a mode of writing (and vice versa). In this sense, a different mode of reading would imply that the writing of history would also undergo significant variations and that historical works might take different forms.”
Dominick LaCapra (born 1939) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Unlike many of my contemporaries, I never write books for my fellow professors to read. I have no interest in the academic audience at all. I'm interested in Joe Doakes. A general audience can read any book I write – and they do.”
Mortimer Adler (1902–2001) first seen 2001 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted in "Philosopher, reformer Mortimer Adler, father of 'Great Books' program, dies at 98" by F.N. D'Alession, lubbockonline.com (29 June 2001)
“I'm not this crazy drunk guy you see on 'SuperGroup'. I like to be mellow sometimes. I like to read a lot, and I'm actually starting to write my first book. I have read so many books and now I'm trying to document this specific tour, because it is fascinating!”
Sebastian Bach (born 1968) first seen 2006 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Chico Enterprise Record (December 12, 2006)
“I didn't believe in writers block until I had it. After 9/11 I couldn't write and the way I got out of it was to read one of my favorite authors, Ray Bradbury...(Why couldn't you write after 9/11?) AH: I was so depressed and hopeless about the state of the world. When I re-read Fahrenheit 451, a book about how important books are, I was reminded of the reason to write.”
Alice Hoffman (born 1952) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“He read at wine, he read in bed, He read aloud, had he the breath, His every thought was with the dead, And so he read himself to death.”
F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940) said by 1940 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I read quite a bit. I would say I read, well, I didn’t read all of Das Kapital, but I read that and Price and Profit, Wage, Labor & Capital, so I had an idea of how capital was made; how it was used, and so forth and so on.”
Emma Tenayuca (1916–1999) said by 1999 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Read. Read. Read. Read widely. Not just in the genre you want to write.”
Kiru Taye wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Read, read and read for when you read, you stand on the shoulders of giants, you see farther than the rest.”
Raul Roco (1941–2005) said by 2005 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: https://www.philstar.com/other-sections/starweek-magazine/2010/08/22/604649/remembering-raul-roco
“At different times and in different places I have come to expect certain books to look a certain way, and, as in all fashions, these changing features fix a precise quality onto a book's definition. I judge a book by its cover; I judge a book by its shape.”
Alberto Manguel (born 1948) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“For many reasons, I believe more in books than images. The image is an idol in an idolatrous world. In a book, there’s no idolatry, even if you can idolise the characters. I believe in the book; when you immerse yourself in a huge book, it’s like an event, an extraordinary one.”
Chantal Akerman (1950–2015) said by 2015 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“When you read the sacred Scriptures, or any other book, never think how you read, but what you read.”
John Philip Kemble (1757–1823) said by 1823 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Reported in Josiah Hotchkiss Gilbert, Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers (1895), p. 40.
“A letter doesn’t communicate by words alone. A letter, just like a book, can be read by smelling it, touching it and fondling it. Thereby, intelligent folk will say, “Go on then, read what the letter tells you!” whereas the dullwitted will say, “Go on then, read what he’s written!”
Orhan Pamuk (born 1952) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I read everything. When I say everything, I read everything: children’s literature, Y.A., science fiction, fantasy, romance — I read it all. Each genre fulfills a different need I have. Each book teaches me something.”
Jesmyn Ward (born 1977) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Toni Morrison’s novel Home for the immense power of her story and the exquisite beauty of her language. I’ve read, re-read and listened to the book being read by the author.”
Sarah Ladipo Manyika (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Our guardian and counsellor in Aiyetoro, Mr Olumide Kuti, encouraged me to read computer science. He asked me to go to the library to read about it because I had no idea what the discipline was about then. Aiyetoro, being an American school then, had a very good library. So I read a book on computer science and fell in love with it instantly.”
Adenike Osofisan (born 1950) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Sometimes you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read that book.”
John Green (born 1977) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“If you merely read this book you will not reach the Way of strategy. Absorb the things written in this book. Do not just read, memorise or imitate, but so that you realise the principle from within your own heart study hard to absorb these things into your body.”
Miyamoto Musashi (1584–1645) said by 1645 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Which reminds me of the man I read of in some sacred book who was given a choice of what he most desired. And because he didn't ask for titles and honours and dignities, but only for immense wealth, these other things came to him also." "I am sure you didn't read about him in any sacred book." "Yes; I fancy you will find him in Debrett.”
Saki (1870–1916) said by 1916 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“There is little that matters more to me than my freedom and independence, artistic and otherwise. But I accept that once a book is put out into the world, it will be read, interpreted, and used by its readers as they see fit. I can agree or disagree, but by then the book is no longer mine; it's been given away to anyone else who cares to read it and invest themselves in it.”
Nicole Krauss (born 1974) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Anyone who had read the book sensed they were into something that would belong to the ages, and everyone was in a frenzy to read the book.”
Ann Rutherford (1917–2012) first seen 1989 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Ann made a remark on film legacy in 1989.
“Unstoppable collapse... These extinction level tipping points... thresholds that are already in the rear view mirror. Loss of the world's ice... I consider Dahr Jamail's The End of Ice... my favorite book on climate change. If you only read one book on climate change this year, read that...”
Michael Dowd (1958–2023) first seen 2010 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Refs: Henry Pollack, A World Without Ice (2010); , A Farewell to Ice: A Report from the Arctic (2017); Dahr Jamail, The End of Ice: Bearing Witness and Finding Meaning in the Path of Climate Disruption (2019)
“The first book I wrote was The Bride Price which was a romantic book, but my husband burnt the book when he saw it. I was the typical African woman, I’d done this privately, I wanted him to look at it, approve it and he said he wouldn’t read it.”
Buchi Emecheta (1944–2017) said by 2017 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The first book I wrote was The Bride Price which was a romantic book, but my husband burnt the book when he saw it. I was the typical African woman, I’d done this privately, I wanted him to look at it, approve it and he said he wouldn’t read.”
Buchi Emecheta (1944–2017) said by 2017 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Yet with every allowance, one feels it difficult to see how any mortal ever could consider this Koran as a Book written in Heaven, too good for the Earth; as a well-written book, or indeed as a book at all; and not a bewildered rhapsody; written, so far as writing goes, as badly as almost any book ever was!”
Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) said by 1881 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The Bible is a book of faith, and a book of doctrine, and a book of morals, and a book of religion, of especial revelation from God.”
Daniel Webster (1782–1852) said by 1852 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The Good Book says: "It's gotta be that way!" But their book says: "REVENGE THE CRUSADES!!!!... After all, he wrote this book here, and in the book it says he made us all to be just like him! So if we're dumb, then God is dumb — and maybe even a little ugly on the side.”
Frank Zappa (1940–1993) said by 1993 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We shouldn't teach great books; we should teach a love of reading. Knowing the contents of a few works of literature is a trivial achievement. Being inclined to go on reading is a great achievement.”
B. F. Skinner (1904–1990) first seen 1968 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted in B. F. Skinner : The Man and His Ideas (1968) by Richard Isadore Evans, p. 73
“The listeners who buy books after a reading multiply that reading; the author who realizes that he or she may be writing on a blank page but is at least not speaking to a blank wall may be encouraged by the experience, and write more.”
Alberto Manguel (born 1948) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“When I was younger, one of the things that didn't help my dislike of reading was the fact that not a lot of the books that I was reading were relevant to my immediate life, to my immediate world.”
Lupita Nyong'o (born 1983) first seen 2020 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: I realized that books don't have to be about White people, they can actually represent all people,' the actress says describing her complex relationship with literature during childhood.okayafrica(February 5, 2020 )
“...I am a storyteller by nature. Under my mother’s guidance, I grew up immersed in books. Reading was my passion. Naturally, that translated to reading out loud. This, in turn, prepared me for theatre...”
Dana Dajani wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Books are escape hatches from conventional temporality. They are portals. Flight co-ordinates to elsewhere. The best thing about reading is turning pages to unlock minds and worlds. Reading takes me on journeys where I encounter the familiar and the unimaginable. It transports me beyond my geographical location, but can also ground me in my neighbourhood”
Serie Barford (born 1960) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I am a compulsive reader... if I am not reading a novel on my phone, I am reading an article on politics or literature or other books.”
Toni Kan (born 1971) first seen 2022 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Speaking about his lifelong reading habit. Tony Kan: I Can't Stay a Day Without Reading, The Sun Nigeria, 29 July 2022.
“I personally regret the shift in literary study from reading primary texts to reading critical and theoretical texts. The major problem today among students is that they simply have not read enough literature. Consequently they do not have the necessary background to take a critical attitude towards literary theory. One needs to test every abstraction against experience.”
Dana Gioia (born 1950) first seen 1991 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Interview with Robert McPhillips (December 1991), published in Verse (Summer 1992)
“If [the monks] wish to devote themselves to reading so that they do not work, they are contumacious to reading itself, because they do not do what they read there.”
Isidore of Seville (560–636) said by 636 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I have read but little of Madame Glyn. I did not know that things like It were going on. I have misspent my days. When I think of all those hours I flung away in reading Henry James and Santayana, when I might have been reading of life, throbbing, beating, perfumed life, I practically break down.”
Elinor Glyn (1864–1943) first seen 1927 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Dorothy Parker "Madame Glyn Lectures on 'It', with Illustrations", in The New Yorker, November 26, 1927.
“Reading the Bible is the fast track to atheism. Reading the Bible means starting at "In the beginning..." and throwing it down with disgust at "...the grace of the lord Jesus be with all. Amen." I'm sure there are lots of religious people who've read the Bible from start to finish and kept their faith, but in my self-selected sample, all the people I know who have done that are atheists.”
Penn Jillette (born 1955) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source