--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A well-read highwayman, who would have…" description: "\"“A well-read highwayman, who would have thought?” the dowager commented. “Oh, he absolutely adores books. He plans to retire when he has enough money a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/483/anya-wylde-32229_book_a-well-read-highwayman-who-would-have-th_2822934.jpg" --- # A well-read highwayman, who would have thought?” the… ![“A well-read highwayman, who would have thought?” the dowager commented. “Oh, he absolutely adores books. He plans to retire when he has enough money and furnish his library with hundreds of books. He has already started a collection by stealing all he can find off lords and such.” quote by Anya Wylde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/483/anya-wylde-32229_book_a-well-read-highwayman-who-would-have-th_2822934.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/483/anya-wylde-32229_book_a-well-read-highwayman-who-would-have-th_2822934.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/483/anya-wylde-32229_book_a-well-read-highwayman-who-would-have-th_2822934.jpg) > ““A well-read highwayman, who would have thought?” the dowager commented. “Oh, he absolutely adores books. He plans to retire when he has enough money and furnish his library with hundreds of books. He has already started a collection by stealing all he can find off lords and such.”” [Anya Wylde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anya-wylde/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A highwayman loves books, plans to retire wealthy, and builds a library by stealing from lords. **In simple terms:** A thief values knowledge and dreams of a literary legacy. Key Takeaway Balance passion with ethical means. Themes literature crime dreams Mood wry ironic Type satirical narrative When to use this quote - library building - ethical debates - personal ambition Key Concepts morality wealth legacy Questions to Reflect On - Is the ends‑justify‑the‑means mindset valid? - How to pursue passions responsibly? A Different Perspective Illicit actions undermine the noble goal. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Dowager Commented](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dowager-commented-3602780/) [Highwayman Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/highwayman-thought-3602781/) [Hundreds Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hundreds-books-978036/) [Read Highwayman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/read-highwayman-3602782/) [Thought Dowager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-dowager-3602783/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [“Once he'd asked, "Don't you want to read? There are hundreds of books in the sitting room." She had laughed and said, "I've read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-addison-allen/once-he-d-asked-don-t-you-want-to-read-there-are-hundreds-of-books-in/) [Sarah Addison Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-addison-allen/) > [“If you went purely by numbers, then books would win hands down. I’ve loved maybe a handful of people in my entire life, compared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katarina-bivald/if-you-went-purely-by-numbers-then-books-would-win-hands-down-i-ve/) [Katarina Bivald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katarina-bivald/) > [I was always a reader. In the fifth grade, I got some sort of prize for having read hundreds of books from the library.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijay-seshadri/i-was-always-a-reader-in-the-fifth-grade-i-got-some-sort-of-prize-for/) [Vijay Seshadri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vijay-seshadri/) > [I had hundreds of books under my skin already. Not selected reading, all of it. Some of it could be called trashy. I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/i-had-hundreds-of-books-under-my-skin-already-not-selected-reading/) [Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/) > [I have 7,000 DVDs and Blu-rays. I have thousands of books - thousands - and roughly 15,000 comic books or something like that, hundreds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/i-have-7-000-dvds-and-blu-rays-i-have-thousands-of-books-thousands/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [And for at least that moment, I wouldn't have traded the hundreds of books I've read for the few I know almost by heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helene-hanff/and-for-at-least-that-moment-i-wouldn-t-have-traded-the-hundreds-of/) [Helene Hanff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helene-hanff/) > [“I have learned through dreams more wisdom, than by reading hundreds of books.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-kristian-goldmund-aumann/i-have-learned-through-dreams-more-wisdom-than-by-reading-hundreds-of/) [sir kristian goldmund aumann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sir-kristian-goldmund-aumann/) > [“The bookcases were lined with titles, hundreds of books shelved by subject in alphabetical order.-Everything from aberrant behavior to the mysteries of zen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tami-hoag/the-bookcases-were-lined-with-titles-hundreds-of-books-shelved-by/) [Tami Hoag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tami-hoag/) > [My father spoke several languages and he had hundreds of books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-lamy/my-father-spoke-several-languages-and-he-had-hundreds-of-books/) [Michele Lamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-lamy/) > [“Alone in the worn mahogany paneled library surrounded by hundreds of books that filled every shelf and lined every wall from floor to ceiling,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-taubold/alone-in-the-worn-mahogany-paneled-library-surrounded-by-hundreds-of/) [Lance Taubold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-taubold/) > [“There must have been hundreds of books”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paige-mckenzie/there-must-have-been-hundreds-of-books/) [Paige McKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paige-mckenzie/) > [The presence of hundreds of books had finally convinced Hermione that what they were doing was right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-presence-of-hundreds-of-books-had-finally-convinced-hermione-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) ## More by Anya Wylde > [“She had softened at his concern for her, but his tone was back to being scathing. She deduced that his concern was not for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anya-wylde/she-had-softened-at-his-concern-for-her-but-his-tone-was-back-to/) [Anya Wylde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anya-wylde/) > [“Theodore, I don’t think I have to tell you but …” “I won’t mention the little incident, your grace. Not even on my deathbed.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anya-wylde/theodore-i-don-t-think-i-have-to-tell-you-but-i-won-t-mention-the/) [Anya Wylde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anya-wylde/) > [“Penelope glared at her, “Madame said that men love damsels in distress. She failed to point out that damsels in distress look wretched, miserable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anya-wylde/penelope-glared-at-her-madame-said-that-men-love-damsels-in-distress/) [Anya Wylde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anya-wylde/) > [“Can I have my ear back?" He asked irritably. She blinked. "Mother, can you tell this creature here to loosen her hold?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anya-wylde/can-i-have-my-ear-back-he-asked-irritably-she-blinked-mother-can-you/) [Anya Wylde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anya-wylde/) > [“Men in lust can get creative.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anya-wylde/men-in-lust-can-get-creative/) [Anya Wylde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anya-wylde/) > [“..a lesson to you Ann, is that a man, however much he lives under the illusion, is never in control. 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Only men with courage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anya-wylde/lady-anne-sighed-and-whispered-to-penelope-my-brother-stands-guard/) [Anya Wylde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anya-wylde/) > [“This was it, a crossroad where a happy home was within her grasp, and on the other side lay years of loneliness and misery.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anya-wylde/this-was-it-a-crossroad-where-a-happy-home-was-within-her-grasp-and/) [Anya Wylde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anya-wylde/) > [“After an hour of gliding though the crowd and two glasses of tepid wine later, Penelope had reached the spiritual state of being merrily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anya-wylde/after-an-hour-of-gliding-though-the-crowd-and-two-glasses-of-tepid/) [Anya Wylde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anya-wylde/) > [“Penny, how can you behave like a total idiot?" Anne giggled, "I have no pride when it comes to winning back people I love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anya-wylde/penny-how-can-you-behave-like-a-total-idiot-anne-giggled-i-have-no/) [Anya Wylde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anya-wylde/) > [“It is an adventure called Bertie’s Botheration. A haunting, gothic tale of…” She stopped for the dowager was frantically gesturing to her heart and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anya-wylde/it-is-an-adventure-called-bertie-s-botheration-a-haunting-gothic-tale/) [Anya Wylde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anya-wylde/) > [“When you get beef from the butcher, you don’t feel bad for the cow that has been killed. 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There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. 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