All great books contain boring portions, and all great…
““All great books contain boring portions, and all great lives have contained uninteresting stretches. Imagine a modern American publisher confronted with the Old Testament as a new manuscript submitted to him for the first time. It is not difficult to think what his comments would be, for example, on the genealogies. 'My dear sir,' he would say, 'this chapter lacks pep; you can't expect your reader to be interested in a mere string of proper names of persons about whom you tell so little. You have begun your story, I admit, in fine style, and at first I was very favourably impressed, but you have altogether too much wish to tell it all. Pick out the highlights, take out the superfluous matter, and bring me back your manuscript when you have reduced it to a reasonable length.' So the modern publisher would speak, knowing the modern reader's fear of boredom.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Great works often contain dull sections, yet trimming them risks losing depth; the quote warns against over‑editing for modern tastes.
In simple terms: Even masterpieces have boring parts; editing too much can strip meaning.
Key Takeaway
Preserve essential content, even if unexciting.
Themes
literature
editing
modernity
attention span
publishing
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- Academic analysis
- book publishing
- teaching literature
- personal reading habits
- media criticism
Key Concepts
Narrative pacing
reader engagement
cultural expectations
Questions to Reflect On
- How much should we prune classic texts for modern audiences?
- What is lost when we prioritize brevity over depth?
A Different Perspective
Over‑editing may erase valuable context and nuance.