Reading," he says, "is always this: there is a thing that…
““Reading," he says, "is always this: there is a thing that is there, a thing made of writing, a solid material object, which cannot be changed, and through this thing we measure ourselves against something else that is not present, something else that belongs to the immaterial, invisible world, because it can only be thought, imagined, or because it was once and is no longer, past, lost, unattainable, in the land of the dead…" "Or that is not present because it does not yet exist, something desire, feared, possible or impossible," Ludmilla says. "Reading is going toward something that is about to be, and no one yet knows what it will be…””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Reading connects us to an immutable, imagined world, allowing self‑measurement against unseen ideas and desires.
In simple terms: Reading links us to imagined, timeless ideas.
Use reading to explore unseen concepts.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- academic study
- personal growth
- creative writing
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What unseen ideas does reading reveal?
- How does reading shape your self‑view?
Interpretation varies; meaning may be elusive.