--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My great-grandfather was a self-taught…" description: "\"My great-grandfather was a self-taught man, and his library was extraordinary. I read the lot.\" — Alan Garner" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c6/alan-garner-16067_extraordinary_my-great-grandfather-was-a-self-taught-m_2227415.png" --- # My great-grandfather was a self-taught man, and his… ![“My great-grandfather was a self-taught man, and his library was extraordinary. I read the lot.” quote by Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c6/alan-garner-16067_extraordinary_my-great-grandfather-was-a-self-taught-m_2227415.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c6/alan-garner-16067_extraordinary_my-great-grandfather-was-a-self-taught-m_2227415.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c6/alan-garner-16067_extraordinary_my-great-grandfather-was-a-self-taught-m_2227415.png) > “My great-grandfather was a self-taught man, and his library was extraordinary. I read the lot.” [Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Shares personal heritage of a self‑taught great‑grandfather with an extraordinary library, inspiring a love of reading. **In simple terms:** Family background fostered a passion for books. Key Takeaway Value self‑education. Themes family influence reading self‑education literary heritage Mood reflective nostalgic Type personal literary When to use this quote - education - personal development - literary discussion Key Concepts knowledge curiosity personal growth Questions to Reflect On - How does family shape learning? - What books inspire you today? A Different Perspective May idealize past experiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Extraordinary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extraordinary/) [Grandfather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grandfather/) [Grandfather Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grandfather-self-4996981/) [Great grandfather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-grandfather/) [His](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/his/) [Library](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/library/) [Library Extraordinary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/library-extraordinary-4996980/) [Lot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lot/) [Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man/) [Man Library](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-library-1867502/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/read/) [Read Lot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/read-lot/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self taught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-taught/) [Taught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taught/) ## Related quotes > [“So, lost, erased, you seek a lifetime's days for it And dig deep to find the sweet instructions there Put by when God first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/so-lost-erased-you-seek-a-lifetime-s-days-for-it-and-dig-deep-to-find/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“There is a class whose value I should designate as Favorites: such as Froissart's Chronicles; Southey's Chronicle of the Cid ; Cervantes ; Sully's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/there-is-a-class-whose-value-i-should-designate-as-favorites-such-as/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [But what can a man see of a library being one day in it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-boswell/but-what-can-a-man-see-of-a-library-being-one-day-in-it/) [James Boswell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-boswell/) > [“Nothing is so intimately a part of a man as his library. It contains just what the possessor wants to look at most often,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft-2/nothing-is-so-intimately-a-part-of-a-man-as-his-library-it-contains/) [H.P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft-2/) > [“For to know a man's library is, in some measure, to know his mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-brooks/for-to-know-a-man-s-library-is-in-some-measure-to-know-his-mind/) [Geraldine Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-brooks/) > [The man who has a library of his own collection is able to contemplate himself objectively, and is justified in believing in his own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-birrell/the-man-who-has-a-library-of-his-own-collection-is-able-to/) [Augustine Birrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-birrell/) > [To know a man's library is, in some measure, to know a man's mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-brooks/to-know-a-man-s-library-is-in-some-measure-to-know-a-man-s-mind/) [Geraldine Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-brooks/) > [There are other books in a man's library besides Ovid, and after dawdling ever so long at a woman's knee, one day he gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/there-are-other-books-in-a-man-s-library-besides-ovid-and-after/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [A man's library is a sort of harem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/a-man-s-library-is-a-sort-of-harem/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Me, poor man, my library Was dukedom large enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/me-poor-man-my-library-was-dukedom-large-enough/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [My brother Carl taught me how to play bass. I'm a self-taught keyboard player, though - I figured out our harmonies at the piano.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-wilson/my-brother-carl-taught-me-how-to-play-bass-i-m-a-self-taught-keyboard/) [Brian Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-wilson/) > [I started out making personal pieces, and realized that I actually like designing. I am self-taught, so I had a lot to learn technically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yigal-azrouel/i-started-out-making-personal-pieces-and-realized-that-i-actually/) [Yigal Azrouel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yigal-azrouel/) > [I'm mostly self-taught. I didn't learn much in school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-denes/i-m-mostly-self-taught-i-didn-t-learn-much-in-school/) [Agnes Denes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-denes/) > [I'm self-taught and emailed photographers I knew if I had questions I couldn't figure out from the manual or online.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanneli-mustaparta/i-m-self-taught-and-emailed-photographers-i-knew-if-i-had-questions-i/) [Hanneli Mustaparta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanneli-mustaparta/) > [I am a self-taught guitarist. I just try to piece together passages that have some melodic value!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-palladio/i-am-a-self-taught-guitarist-i-just-try-to-piece-together-passages/) [Sam Palladio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-palladio/) ## More by Alan Garner > [I loathe crowds. I especially don't like cities. A city involves biomass. And biomass gets to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/i-loathe-crowds-i-especially-don-t-like-cities-a-city-involves/) [Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) > [If you are going to write, nothing will stop you, and if you are not going to write, nothing will make you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/if-you-are-going-to-write-nothing-will-stop-you-and-if-you-are-not/) [Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) > [My background is deep and set in deep time, and in a narrow space, oral traditions going back a long, long time, which I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/my-background-is-deep-and-set-in-deep-time-and-in-a-narrow-space-oral/) [Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) > [I've learned never to try and force words to come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/i-ve-learned-never-to-try-and-force-words-to-come/) [Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) > [My primary tongue, I would call North-West Mercian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/my-primary-tongue-i-would-call-north-west-mercian/) [Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) > [It's where I keep all my things. Get a lot of compliments on this. Plus it's not a purse, it's called a satchel. Indiana…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/it-s-where-i-keep-all-my-things-get-a-lot-of-compliments-on-this-plus/) [Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) > [“It's not a job but a condition. (Alan Garner on writing)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/it-s-not-a-job-but-a-condition-alan-garner-on-writing/) [Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) > [“Everybody thinks some people are born with the "gift of gab" and some people aren't. But the truth is there is no "gift of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/everybody-thinks-some-people-are-born-with-the-gift-of-gab-and-some/) [Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) > [She wants to be flowers, but you make her owls. You must not complain, then, if she goes hunting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/she-wants-to-be-flowers-but-you-make-her-owls-you-must-not-complain/) [Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) > [“Lleu is a hard lord,” said Huw, “He is killing Gronw without anger, without love, without mercy. He is hurt too much by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/lleu-is-a-hard-lord-said-huw-he-is-killing-gronw-without-anger/) [Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) > [“I wanted us to have a holiday, not a ruddy breakdown.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/i-wanted-us-to-have-a-holiday-not-a-ruddy-breakdown/) [Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) > [I wish Monkeys could Skype. Maybe one day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/i-wish-monkeys-could-skype-maybe-one-day/) [Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) > [I don't think I've ever frightened myself before when writing, but there were areas where there was terror, as though I was looking into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/i-don-t-think-i-ve-ever-frightened-myself-before-when-writing-but/) [Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) > [Ive learned never to try and force words to come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/ive-learned-never-to-try-and-force-words-to-come/) [Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) > [My attitude is that if anybody of any age wants to read a book, let them, but I do think that no child would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/my-attitude-is-that-if-anybody-of-any-age-wants-to-read-a-book-let/) [Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) [Explore all 41 Alan Garner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) ## More Extraordinary quotes > [We released 400,000 classified documents, the most extraordinary history of a war to ever have been released in our civilization. Those documents cover 109,000…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/we-released-400-000-classified-documents-the-most-extraordinary/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this \[step by step, from humans to apes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us-with-so-extraordinary-a/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [Nothing teaches great writing like the very best books do. Yet, good teachers often help students cross that bridge, and I have to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/nothing-teaches-great-writing-like-the-very-best-books-do-yet-good/) [Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/) > [I have no hesitation in saying that although the American woman never leaves her domestic sphere and is in some respects very dependent within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/i-have-no-hesitation-in-saying-that-although-the-american-woman-never/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [Newspapers have an extraordinary amount of local content, including real estate listings and restaurant reviews.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimbal-musk/newspapers-have-an-extraordinary-amount-of-local-content-including/) [Kimbal Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimbal-musk/) > [The contributions being made by Latinos are extraordinary, and we need to talk about them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ailes/the-contributions-being-made-by-latinos-are-extraordinary-and-we-need/) [Roger Ailes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ailes/) > [Jeb Bush was supposed to be the establishment candidate, but he didn't catch on. And the extraordinary thing about this Republican primary is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-liasson/jeb-bush-was-supposed-to-be-the-establishment-candidate-but-he-didn-t/) [Mara Liasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-liasson/) > [We are very fortunate to be recognized here in such an extraordinary manner for work that we enjoy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-altman/we-are-very-fortunate-to-be-recognized-here-in-such-an-extraordinary/) [Sidney Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-altman/) > [I've always thought that the most extraordinary special effect you could do is to buy a child at the moment of its birth, sit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/i-ve-always-thought-that-the-most-extraordinary-special-effect-you/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [Joel Lane documents a life we don’t quite live, in a city we can’t quite find: half glimpsed and half imagined, we know it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaz-brenchley/joel-lane-documents-a-life-we-don-t-quite-live-in-a-city-we-can-t/) [Chaz Brenchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaz-brenchley/) > [In sports teams, apart from talk of sporting prowess and the imparting of inspirational thought, an extraordinary amount of time is spent discussing, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harsha-bhogle/in-sports-teams-apart-from-talk-of-sporting-prowess-and-the-imparting/) [Harsha Bhogle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harsha-bhogle/) > [My books are about ordinary people caught up in extraordinary situations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-robards/my-books-are-about-ordinary-people-caught-up-in-extraordinary/) [Karen Robards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-robards/) > [If you like I'll be furious flesh elemental, or- changing to tones that the sunset arouses- if you like- I'll be extraordinary gentle, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-mayakovsky/if-you-like-i-ll-be-furious-flesh-elemental-or-changing-to-tones-that/) [Vladimir Mayakovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-mayakovsky/) > [It isn't necessary to seek out adventure. Opening to what is around you will produce the most extraordinary experiences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-b-lewis/it-isn-t-necessary-to-seek-out-adventure-opening-to-what-is-around/) [Edward B. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-b-lewis/) > [Many people, including myself, thought of Jobs as an inventor, an Edison-like figure, but he wasn't. I did a documentary on James Brown recently;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-gibney/many-people-including-myself-thought-of-jobs-as-an-inventor-an-edison/) [Alex Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-gibney/) [Browse all 2,906 Extraordinary quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extraordinary/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My great-grandfather was a self-taught man, and his library was extraordinary. 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