Hardly a book of human worth, be it heaven's own secret…
“Hardly a book of human worth, be it heaven's own secret, is honestly placed before the reader; it is either shunned, given a Periclean funeral oration in a hundred and fifty words, or interred in the potter's field of the newspapers back pages.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The author criticizes a work as worthless, describing how society either ignores it, gives it a brief, grandiose tribute, or discards it as insignificant.
In simple terms: The book is dismissed, either ignored, praised briefly, or discarded.
Key Takeaway
Question how value judgments are assigned to literature.
Themes
literature
criticism
value
Mood
skeptical
reflective
Type
critical
literary
When to use this quote
- book reviews
- academic curricula
- library collections
Key Concepts
aesthetic judgment
cultural reception
publishing industry
Questions to Reflect On
- What criteria determine a book’s worth?
- Can a work be both ignored and celebrated?
A Different Perspective
The assessment may reflect personal bias rather than objective merit.