Quotes about Reading

... that when you're buying books, you're optimistically thinking you're buying the time to read them. (Paraphrase of Schopenhauer)

If thou wilt receive profit, read with humility, simplicity and faith, and seek not at any time the fame of being learned.

Many a reader who wanted to read a tale through was not able to do it because of delays on account of the weather. Nothing breaks up an author's progress like having to stop every few pages to fuss-up the weather. Thus it is plain that persistent intrusions of weather are bad for both reader and author.

The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read.

But how should I know whether they were boys or girls?" "Goodness sakes, mars Clay, don't de Good Book say? 'Sides, don't it call 'em de HE-brew chil'en? If dey was gals wouldn't dey be de SHE-brew chil'en? Some people dat kin read don't 'pear to take no notice when dey do read.

The man who does not read books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them.

I do not think that life has any joy to offer so complete, so soul-filling as that which comes upon the imaginative lad, whose spare time is limited, but who is able to snuggle down into a corner with his book, knowing that the next hour is all his own. And how vivid and fresh it all is!

This is the case with many learned persons; they have read themselves stupid.

I've never known any trouble than an hour's reading didn't assuage.

reading is equivalent to thinking with someone else's head instead of with ones own

You can apply yourself voluntarily to reading and learning, but you cannot really apply yourself to thinking: thinking have to be kindled, as a fire is by a draught, and kept going by some kind of interest in its object, which may be an objective interest or merely a subjective one.

One can never read too little of bad, or too much of good books: bad books are intellectual poison; they destroy the mind.