--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The appeal of reading, she thought, lay…" description: "\"The appeal of reading, she thought, lay in its indifference: there was something undeferring about literature. Books did not care who was reading them ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c70/alan-bennett-1922_appeals_the-appeal-of-reading-she-thought-lay-in_200348.jpg" --- # The appeal of reading, she thought, lay in its… ![“The appeal of reading, she thought, lay in its indifference: there was something undeferring about literature. Books did not care who was reading them or whether one read them or not. All readers were equal, herself included. Literature, she thought, is a commonwealth; letters a republic.” quote by Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c70/alan-bennett-1922_appeals_the-appeal-of-reading-she-thought-lay-in_200348.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c70/alan-bennett-1922_appeals_the-appeal-of-reading-she-thought-lay-in_200348.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c70/alan-bennett-1922_appeals_the-appeal-of-reading-she-thought-lay-in_200348.jpg) > “The appeal of reading, she thought, lay in its indifference: there was something undeferring about literature. Books did not care who was reading them or whether one read them or not. All readers were equal, herself included. Literature, she thought, is a commonwealth; letters a republic.” [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She sees literature as indifferent, equalizing readers, forming a democratic realm. **In simple terms:** Books don’t care who reads them. Key Takeaway Value literature’s impartiality. Themes literature equality democracy Mood contemplative analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - education - library c - creative writing - public discourse Key Concepts humanism republicanism indifference Questions to Reflect On - How does impartiality empower readers? - Can literature be both indifferent and intimate? A Different Perspective Indifference can feel cold, lacking personal connection. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Commonwealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commonwealth/) [Indifference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indifference/) [Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Republic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republic/) ## Related quotes > [“The appeal of reading, she thought, lay in its indifference: there was something undeferring about literature. 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