The quote above is from Thomas Jefferson.

 

J. Kevin Graffagnino

Only in Books: Writers, Readers, & Bibliophiles on Their Passion

 

“Without disparaging the other forms of collecting, I confess a conviction that the human impulse to collect reaches one of its highest levels in the domain of books.”  Theodore C. Blegen (1891 – 1969)

 

Not that booklovers need an excuse for overflowing shelves, stacks of books on windowsills blocking the sunlight, or the myriads of to-be-read piles scattered about the house – but if you are in need of moral support, Only in Books will provide more than enough. This is what I turn to over and over whenever I need a good quote about books and reading.

 

I’m not sure how many quotes are collected here, but it’s a treasure trove, especially for those who think like Samuel Pepys (1632 – 1703) who said:

 “I know not how to abstain from reading.”

 

And should you have a spouse who complains about the money you spend in bookstores, remind him or her that a book costs less than a few beers in a bar and certainly cheaper than a pair of shoes or a cordless drill.

“No entertainment is so cheap as reading, nor any pleasure so lasting.”

Mary Wortley Montague (1689 – 1762)

 

And if the argument above doesn’t work, here’s one to ponder:

“Reading goes ill with the married state.” Molière (1622 – 1673)

 

And just imagine the shitstorm that would ensue should anyone today utter the following in public!

“I am persuaded that foolish writers and readers are created for each other; and that Fortune provides readers as she does mates for ugly women.”

Horace Walpole (1717 – 1797)

 

I’ll stop now, before I end up re-printing the entire book here. But I have to end with a quote from Oscar Wilde (1856 – 1900). This is for you writers out there. :-)

“The play was a great success. But the audience was a failure.”