So all that fame had lasted less than a hundred years! Les…
““So all that fame had lasted less than a hundred years! Les Orientales, Les Meditations, La Comedie Humaine - forgotten, lost, unknown! Yet here were huge crates of books which giant steam cranes were unloading in the courtyards, and buyers were crowding around the purchase desk. But one of them was asking for 'Stress Theory' in twenty volumes, another for an 'Abstract of Electric Problems', this one for 'A Practical Treatise for the Lubrication of Driveshafts', and that one for the latest 'Monograph on Cancer of the Brain'. 'How strange!' mused Michel. 'All of science and industry here, just as at school, nothing for art!' I must sound like a madman asking for literary works here - am I insane?””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The passage sat the fleeting nature of fame compared to the lasting demand for scientific and technical knowledge.
In simple terms: Fame fades, science endures.
Key Takeaway
Value practical knowledge over fleeting fame.
Themes
fame
science
industry
literature
transience
Mood
reflective
critical
contemplative
Type
philosophical
observational.analytical
When to use this quote
- library acquisition
- academic research
- industrial innovation
- education
- museum curation
Key Concepts
cultural memory
knowledge economy
technological progress
Questions to Reflect On
- What does this say about society’s priorities?
- How can we balance art and science?
A Different Perspective
Artistic works may be undervalued in a utilitarian society.