I have read - nay, I have bought! - Carlyle's 'Latter Day…
“I have read - nay, I have bought! - Carlyle's 'Latter Day Pamphlets,' and look on my eight shillings as very much thrown away. To me it appears that the grain of sense is so smothered up in a sack of the sheerest trash, that the former is valueless…I look on him as a man who was always in danger of going mad in literature and who has now done so.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The reviewer finds the work nonsensical and wasteful, criticizing its lack of substance and its maddening effect on literature.
In simple terms: The book is seen as trash.
Key Takeaway
Avoid wasting time on meaningless works.
Themes
literary criticism
frustration
quality
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- reading choices
- academic study
- personal taste
Key Concepts
aesthetics
literary theory
Questions to Reflect On
- What criteria define valuable reading?
- How do you discern quality in literature?
A Different Perspective
Subjective taste may differ.