Famous quotes
Quotes by famous people, credited to who said them. Your own quotes must not match any of these. More are added all the time. 1,158,808 quotes Who coined it · How we decide
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Books and reading
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“If I don’t write in this language, I’m losing out on whatever comes with the language. Each proverb, each idiom has a cultural value and historical background that my readers now have access to as a result of reading in Setswana. I needed to hold onto that”
Sabata-Mpho Mokae wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I think reading all of the story, the literature and the character clues about Ptolemy allowed me to fall in love with [Sensia], with the time [period] and with him. And that’s the biggest thing. I think our research always has to be something that allows us to fall in love with our character.”
Cynthia Kaye McWilliams (born 1982) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It's all about being as unpredictable as possible on the day, reading the game situation, and using the conditions.”
Anrich Nortje (born 1993) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“But we have a versatile bowling unit, and we’re well placed to adapt. It’s about reading the conditions and picking the right bowlers for them,”
Anrich Nortje (born 1993) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We are used to giving words like "silence" and "loneliness" a negative, melancholy meaning. In the case of reading this is not the case, on the contrary that silence and that solitude mark the proud condition of the human being only with his thoughts, capable of forgetting "every trouble" for a few hours. (p. 106)”
Corrado Augias (born 1935) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Aside from literally living a dream, it's not just because I'm a working actress, which is beyond wonderful, but it's being able to be a character that I grew up reading and loving,”
Ashleigh Murray (born 1988) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Fairy tales and more fairy tales. [in response to a mother who wanted her son to become a scientist and asked Einstein what reading material to give him]”
Albert Einstein (disputed) first seen 1954 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Found in Montana Libraries: Volumes 8-14 (1954), p. cxxx. The story is given as follows: "In the current New Mexico Library Bulletin, Elizabeth Margulis tells a story of a woman who was a personal friend of the late dea…
“No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.”
Confucius (misattributed) first seen 1960 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Atwood H. Townsend, editor of Good Reading, various editions from at least 1960
“No man living in deliberate violation of his duty, in willful disobedience to God’s commands, as taught by conscience, can possibly make progress in acquaintance with the Supreme Being. Vain are all acts of worship in church or in secret, vain are religious reading and conversation, without this instant fidelity.”
William Ellery Channing (attributed) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Reading is a basic tool in the living of a good life.”
Joseph Addison (misattributed) first seen 1940 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The earliest attributions of this remark to anyone are in 1941, to Mortimer Adler, in How To Read A Book (1940), although this actually a paraphrased shortening of a statement in his preface: Reading — as explained (and…
“My girlfriend always laughs during sex — no matter what she's reading.”
Steve Jobs (misattributed) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“What are the Qualifications of a Secretary of State? He ought to be a Man of universal Reading in Laws, Governments, History. Our whole terrestrial Universe ought to be summarily comprehended in his Mind.”
John Adams (attributed) first seen 1784 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted in Statesman and Friend: Correspondence of John Adams with Benjamin Waterhouse, 1784–1822 (1927), edited by Worthington C. Ford, Boston, Massachusetts: Little, Brown, and Company. p. 57
“Easy reading is damn hard writing.”
Nathaniel Hawthorne (disputed) first seen 1989 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Also attributed to Ernest Hemingway and others; the earliest definite occurrence of this yet found in research for Wikiquote is by Maya Angelou, who stated it in Conversations With Maya Angelou (1989) edited by Jeffrey …
“My personal hobbies are reading, listening to music, and silence.”
Edith Sitwell (attributed) first seen 1977 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: In Reader's Digest, vol. 111, no. 666 (October 1977)
“A great many people now reading and writing would be better employed keeping rabbits.”
Edith Sitwell (attributed) first seen 1986 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: In Jon Winokur, Writers on Writing (1986), p. 24
“When people say that the Bible and politics don't mix, I ask them which Bible they are reading.”
Desmond Tutu (attributed) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“An outstanding effort filled with important information for those who treat alcoholics, live with alcoholics, or who are alcoholics.... A significant contribution to the field, and all who deal with alcoholics would benefit from reading it.”
Arnold M. Ludwig wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Reading the newspaper or watching the news in the morning. I don’t like starting my day on a bad note.”
Shreya Ghoshal (born 1984) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Our reading culture has been ignited.”
“Reading what they never wrote, Just fifteen minutes, huddle up their work, And with a well-bred whisper close the scene.”
William Cowper (1731–1800) said by 1800 at the latest bartlett, Public domain source
“If the history of England be ever written by one who has the knowledge and the courage,--and both qualities are equally requisite for the undertaking,--the world will be more astonished than when reading the Roman annals by Niebuhr.”
Benjamin Disraeli (earl Beaconsfield) bartlett, Public domain source
“The sagacious reader who is capable of reading between these lines what does not stand written in them, but is nevertheless implied, will be able to form some conception.”
Goethe (1749–1832) said by 1832 at the latest bartlett, Public domain source
“Are these the choice dishes the Doctor has sent us? Is this the great poet whose works so content us? This Goldsmith’s fine feast, who has written fine books? Heaven sends us good meat, but the Devil sends cooks?”
David Garrick (1717–1779) first seen 1557 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Epigram on Goldsmith’s Retaliation. Vol. ii. p. 157. Compare: "God sendeth and giveth both mouth and the meat", Thomas Tusser, A Hundred Points of Good Husbandry (1557); "God sends meat, and the Devil sends cooks", John…
“I feel guilty that Rosemary's Baby led to The Exorcist, The Omen [...] A whole generation has been exposed, has more belief in Satan. I don't believe in Satan. And I feel that the strong fundamentalism we have would not be as strong if there hadn't been so many of these books. Of course, [...] I didn't send back any of the royalty checks.”
Ira Levin (1929–2007) first seen 2002 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Interviewed by Mary McNamara "The Art of Darkness" Los Angeles Times (September 22, 2002)
“The first thing to be done by a biographer in estimating character is to examine the stubs of his victim's cheque-books.”
Silas Weir Mitchell (1829–1914) said by 1914 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Quoted by Harvey W. Cushing in The Life of Sir William Osler, Vol. 1, Ch. 21 (1925).
“I always wanted to be called Caroline [...] Carolines were always very nice in books.”
Nigella Lawson (born 1960) first seen 2004 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: After being asked about growing up with the feminine form of her father's first name, as cited in Sally Vincent "Nigella Lawson: Who'd be a goddess?", The Guardian (16 October 2004)
“Films and gramophone records, music, books and buildings show clearly how vigorously a man's life and work go on after his death, whether we feel it or not, whether we are aware of the individual names or not. There is no such thing as death according to our view!”
Martin Bormann (1900–1945) said by 1945 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Quoted in "The Columbia Dictionary of Quotations" - Page 446 - by Robert Andrews - Reference - 1993.
“My father was teaching me his trade. I was his son and he was showing me how to write the way his own father from Torricella Peligna had shown him, as a boy, how to work a wall of stone or lay a row of brick. I was learning how to build books. Watching a master at work. Those would be the most important days of my life.”
John Fante (1909–1983) said by 1983 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Dan Fante, about his late father John Fante. From the Introduction (December 2003) by Dan Fante to The Bandini Quartet by John Fante (the four 'Arturo Bandini' novels in one volume, published by Canongate Books Ltd.).
Also quoted by: Dan Fante
“Some books are drenchèd sands On which a great soul’s wealth lies all in heaps, Like a wrecked argosy.”
Alexander Smith (1829–1867) said by 1867 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Another of humanity’s early awakened teachers emerged in China. His name was Lao Tzu. He left a record of his teaching in the form of one of the most profound spiritual books ever written, the Tao Te Ching.”
Eckhart Tolle (born 1948) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Old books, old wine, old Nankin blue;— All things, in short, to which belong The charm, the grace that Time makes strong,— All these I prize, but (entre nous) Old friends are best.”
Henry Austin Dobson (1840–1921) first seen 1884 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: To Richard Watson Gilder" (1884), line 8, in Carmina Votiva (London: Printed for private circulation, 1901), p. 68.
“'Tis Sex that rules the lives Of clowns and kings; It gives us books and wives And other things—Ambition, love and strife And all the ills And ecstacies of life, And Freuds and Brills.”
Arthur Guiterman (1871–1943) first seen 1921 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Sex", sts. 5–6, in The Nation (May 4, 1921) p. 666
“If you look at the record books, Dale Earnhardt's done everything, except win the Daytona 500. Now they can't have that riding over him. Now they're just going to say, 'Dale Earnhardt, 1998 Daytona 500 winner,' and his shoulders are going to get lighter every time.”
Ernie Irvan (born 1959) first seen 1998 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted in "Daytona 500's Magical Aura: Dale Earnhardt's 1998 Ride" by Ashley McCubbin in Bleacher Report (15 February 2011).
“I agree. When I hear a player talking about how he "needs" to know about all the other details, I hear a player who is being adversarial to the GM and simply not trusting him to "get it right." Players like that make baby seals die and cause cancer with prolonged exposure. I don't write books for them.”
Sean Punch (born 1967) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Besides, I simply had to get back to my books right away, because the company of most people, once the predictable events have taken their course, does not inspire conversation on my part.”
Cees Nooteboom (1933–2026) said by 2026 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Only from bad books.”
Peter Greenaway (born 1942) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“What good are all these books to you? You can't eat them! How can they make you happy?”
Peter Greenaway (born 1942) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Prospero has always felt most at ease in a study, surrounded by books.”
Peter Greenaway (born 1942) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It has been said that Homer was the Bible of the Greeks. The remark exactly misses the truth. The Greeks fortunately had no Bible, and this fact was both an expression and an important condition of their freedom. Homer's poems were secular, not religious, and it may be noted that they are freer from immorality and savagery than sacred books that one could mention.”
J. B. Bury (1861–1927) said by 1927 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Man's books are but a climbing stair, Lain step by step, like stairs of stone; The stairway here, the temple there — Man's lampad honor, and his trust, The God who called him from the dust.”
Joaquin Miller (1837–1913) said by 1913 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I saw a Divine Being. I'm afraid I'm going to have to revise all my various books and opinions.”
A. J. Ayer (1910–1989) said by 1989 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: A statement he made soon after recovering from his near-death experience, as reported by Dr. Jeremy George, in "Did atheist philosopher see God when he 'died'?" by William Cash, in National Post (3 March 2001).
“I am of the firm belief that everybody could write books and I never understand why they don't. After all, everyone speaks. Once the grammar has been learnt it is simply talking on paper and in time learning what not to say.”
Beryl Bainbridge (1932–2010) first seen 1976 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: James Vinson & D. L. Kirkpatrick (eds.), Contemporary Novelists, 2nd edition, (London: St. James Press, 1976).
“writers without books, poets without verses, painters without pictures p198”
Fernando Sabino (1923–2004) said by 2004 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Books are the ultimate Dumpees: put them down and they'll wait for you forever; pay attention to them and they always love you back.”
John Green (born 1977) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“When I went to business school, they said, "Focus on your shareholder, Marc. The business of business is business." That no longer applies. We have to erase that from our history books. The business of business is improving the state of the world.”
Marc Benioff (born 1964) first seen 2018 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: CNBC: Marc Benioff: We bought Time Magazine because 'business is the greatest platform for change' (25 September 2018)
“I've often thought that my scruples about stealing books were the only thing that stood in the way of my being a really great scholar.”
Malcolm Bradbury (1932–2000) said by 2000 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The graves all are silent. The caskets are vacant. Stalin has no more wisdom for us. Nietzsche is preserved in books, having forgotten to lift his casket lid and tell us he was right. Muhammad gives us the slip. So does Buddha. It is Christ alone who defeats the grave. Nothing is left in the tomb but echoes and cobwebs. And so we do well to listen to Him with the ears of dying men.”
Don Miller (author) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“You cannot write for children... They're much too complicated. You can only write books that are of interest to them.”
Maurice Sendak (1928–2012) first seen 1987 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted in Boston Globe interview (4 January 1987)
“I wasn't gonna paint. And I wasn't gonna do ostentatious drawings. I wasn't gonna have gallery pictures. I was gonna hide somewhere where nobody would find me and express myself entirely. I'm like a guerrilla warfare in my best books.”
Maurice Sendak (1928–2012) said by 2012 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Have you ever noticed flocks of swallows flying past between the lines of certain books, whole verses of trembling, pointed swallows? One must interpret the flights of those birds...”
Bruno Schulz (1892–1942) said by 1942 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source