Books & Reading Quotes — page 42

We cultivate literature on a little oatmeal.

Come! let the burial rite be read — the funeral song be sung! — An anthem for the queenliest dead that ever died so young — A dirge for her the doubly dead in that she died so young.

When we go up to the shelves in the reading-room of the British Museum, how like it is to wasps flying up and down an apricot tree that is trained against a wall, or cattle coming down to drink at a pool!

Happy the people whose annals are blank in history books!

The basis of our government being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I …

Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man.

This is a simple story of a battle; such a tale as may be told by a soldier who is no writer to a reader who is no soldier.

When I read the several dates of the tombs, of some that died yesterday, and some six hundred years ago, I consider that great day when we shall all of us be contemporaries, and make our appearance together.

They say the religion of your fathers is good enough. Why should a father object to your inventing a better plow than he had? They say to me, do you know more than all the theologians dead? Being a perfectly modest man I say I think I do.

Books that you may carry to the fire, and hold readily in your hand, are the most useful after all.

What can become of book-hunting...if everything is reprinted in uniform binding for a shilling or sixpence?

I never read a book before reviewing it: it prejudices a man so.

It is with literature as with law or empire — an established name is an estate in tenure, or a throne in possession.

I do not like books. I believe I have the smallest library of any literary man in London, and I have no wish to increase it. I keep my books at the British Museum and at Mudie's, and it makes me very angry if anyone gives me one for my …

I know not whether this book is worth anything, nor what the world will do with it, or misdo, or entirely forbear to do, as is likeliest; but this I could tell the world: You have not had for a hundred years any book that comes more direct …

A lively and lasting sense of filial duty is more effectually impressed on the mind of a son or daughter by reading King Lear, than by all the dry volumes of ethics, and divinity, that ever were written.

The only end of writing is to enable the readers better to enjoy life, or better to endure it.

Libraries...he does not much esteem. People should own their books, he holds ; but that, of course, is a counsel of perfection, or would be were it not for the multitude of reprints that are now to be had at the price of a cigar.

In the four quarters of the globe, who reads an American book? Or goes to an American play? or looks at an American picture or statue?

I have always suspected that the reading is right, which requires many words to prove it wrong; and the emendation wrong, that cannot without so much labour appear to be right.

This little book...is just a garland of good or enkindling poetry and prose fitted to urge folk into the open air...with perhaps a phrase or two for the feet to step to and the mind to brood on when the rest is over.

Resolve to spend a certain number of hours every day amongst your books.