...I have read but little of Madame Glyn. I did not know…
““...I have read but little of Madame Glyn. I did not know that things like "It" were going on. I have misspent my days. When I think of all those hours I flung away in reading William James and Santayana, when I might have been reading of life, throbbing, beating, perfumed life, I practically break down. Where, I ask you, have I been, that no true word of Madame Glyn's literary feats has come to me? But even those far, far better informed than I must work a bit over the opening sentence of Madame Glyn's foreword to her novel" "This is not," the says, drawing her emeralds warmly about her, "the story of the moving picture entitled It, but a full character study of the story It, which the people in the picture read and discuss." I could go mad, in a nice way, straining to figure that out. ...Well it turns out that Ava and John meet, and he begins promptly to "vibrate with passion." ... ...It goes on for nearly three hundred pages, with both of them vibrating away like steam launches." -Review of the book, It, by Elinor Glyn. Review title: Madame Glyn Lectures on "It," with Illustrations; November 26, 1927.””
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 laments wasted time on abstract philosophy instead of engaging with vivid, sensual literature, and is both by the novel’s intense erotic energy.
In simple terms: Regret over missed sensual reading; fascination with passionate narrative.
Key Takeaway
Prioritize reading that moves you emotionally.
Themes
regret
literary criticism
eroticism
Mood
reflective
introspective
Type
critical
analytical
When to use this quote
- personal reading choices
- literary appreciation
- seeking emotional depth
Key Concepts
philosophy
sensuality
novel analysis
Questions to Reflect On
- What texts have you neglected for more “practical” reading?
- How do you balance intellectual and sensual literature?
A Different Perspective
The novel’s focus on erotic passion may alienate readers seeking deeper plot or character development.