There are two kinds of people in the world, those who…
““There are two kinds of people in the world, those who re-read and those who don’t. No, don’t be silly, there are far more than two kinds of people in the world. There are even people who don’t read at all. (What do they think about on buses?) But there are two kinds of readers in the world, though, those who re-read and those who don’t. Sometimes people who don’t re-read look at me oddly when I mention that I do. “There are so many books,” they say, “and so little time. If I live to be a mere Methuselah of 800, and read a book a week for 800 years, I will only have the chance to read 40,000 books, and my readpile is already 90,000 and starting to topple! If I re-read, why, I’ll never get through the new ones.” This is in fact true, they never will. And my readpile is also, well, let’s just say it’s pretty large, and that’s just the pile of unread books in my house, not the list of books I’d theoretically like to read someday, many of which have not even been written yet.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
People categorize themselves by reading behavior, but the reality is more nuanced; the abundance of books creates tension between depth and breadth
In simple terms: Readers differ in re‑reading versus new reading, and many books remain unread
Key Takeaway
Embrace both re‑reading and new reading as valuable
Themes
reading
choice
abundance
Mood
thoughtful
contemplative
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- Personal library
- book clubs
- reading challenges
Key Concepts
Literary culture
time management
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you prioritize depth or breadth in reading?
- How do you manage an ever‑growing book pile?
A Different Perspective
The quote may romanticize endless reading without addressing practical limits