I have no liking for novels or stories - none in the…
“I have no liking for novels or stories - none in the world; and so, whenever I read one - which is not oftener than once in two years, and even in these same cases I seldom read beyond the middle of the book - my distaste for the vehicle always taints my judgment of the literature itself, as a matter of course; and also of course makes my verdict valuless. Are you saying "You have written stories yourself." Quite true: but the fact that an Indian likes to scalp people is no evidence that he likes to be scalped.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The speaker distrusts novels, believing personal bias against the medium clouds literary judgment, rendering critiques meaningless.
In simple terms: Disliking a format skews one's view of its content.
Key Takeaway
Separate personal taste from objective analysis.
Themes
bias
literary criticism
subjectivity
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- book clubs
- academic reviews
- personal reading habits
- teaching literature
Key Concepts
cognitive bias
evaluation
taste
literature
critique
Questions to Reflect On
- Can you evaluate a work without personal preference?
- How does bias affect criticism?
A Different Perspective
Even if you dislike a medium, you can still assess its merits objectively.