--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What I sought in books was imagination…" description: "\"What I sought in books was imagination. It was depth, depth of thought and feeling; some sort of extreme of subject matter; some nearness to death; som..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/266/annie-dillard-509_book_what-i-sought-in-books-was-imagination-i_3090538.jpg" --- # What I sought in books was imagination. It was depth… ![“What I sought in books was imagination. It was depth, depth of thought and feeling; some sort of extreme of subject matter; some nearness to death; some call to courage. I myself was getting wild; I wanted wildness, originality, genius, rapture, hope. ... What I sought in books was a world whose…” quote by Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/266/annie-dillard-509_book_what-i-sought-in-books-was-imagination-i_3090538.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/266/annie-dillard-509_book_what-i-sought-in-books-was-imagination-i_3090538.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/266/annie-dillard-509_book_what-i-sought-in-books-was-imagination-i_3090538.jpg) > “What I sought in books was imagination. It was depth, depth of thought and feeling; some sort of extreme of subject matter; some nearness to death; some call to courage. I myself was getting wild; I wanted wildness, originality, genius, rapture, hope. ... What I sought in books was a world whose surfaces, whose people and events and days lived, actually matched the exaltation of the interior life. There you could live.” [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Great literature should mirror the depth of inner experience, offering a world that feels as vivid as our inner emotions. **In simple terms:** Books should reflect our inner lives. Key Takeaway Read works that resonate deeply with your soul. Themes creativity imagination depth Mood inspirational contemplative Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - reading for growth - creative writing - personal reflection - art criticism Key Concepts existentialism aesthetic experience Questions to Reflect On - Which book has moved you profoundly? - How does literature shape your inner world? A Different Perspective Not all books achieve this depth; seeking it may limit exposure to diverse styles. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Depth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depth/) [Events](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/events/) [Exaltation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exaltation/) [Extremes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extremes/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/) [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Originality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/originality/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Rapture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rapture/) [Thoughts and feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thoughts-and-feelings/) [Wildness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wildness/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“What I sought in books was imagination. 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