--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The two most common charges against the…" description: "\"The two most common charges against the older fiction, that it pleased wickedly and that it taught nothing, had broken down before the discovery, excep..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4da/carl-clinton-van-doren-37918_books_the-two-most-common-charges-against-the_1942167.jpg" --- # The two most common charges against the older fiction… ![“The two most common charges against the older fiction, that it pleased wickedly and that it taught nothing, had broken down before the discovery, except in illiberal sects, that the novel is fitted both for honest use and for pleasure.” quote by Carl Clinton Van Doren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4da/carl-clinton-van-doren-37918_books_the-two-most-common-charges-against-the_1942167.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4da/carl-clinton-van-doren-37918_books_the-two-most-common-charges-against-the_1942167.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4da/carl-clinton-van-doren-37918_books_the-two-most-common-charges-against-the_1942167.jpg) > “The two most common charges against the older fiction, that it pleased wickedly and that it taught nothing, had broken down before the discovery, except in illiberal sects, that the novel is fitted both for honest use and for pleasure.” [Carl Clinton Van Doren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-clinton-van-doren/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The novel can be both morally instructive and enjoyable, contrary to critics who claim it is either corrupting or useless. **In simple terms:** Novels can teach and entertain. Key Takeaway Read fiction for both pleasure and insight. Themes literature education entertainment Mood thoughtful analytical Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - school curricula - book clubs - creative writing Key Concepts aesthetics cultural criticism Questions to Reflect On - How does fiction shape your values? - Can entertainment coexist with moral lessons? A Different Perspective Some readers may still view novels as frivolous. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Discovery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discovery/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure/) ## Related quotes > [The older I get and the more fiction I write, the more I outline, the more I think about plot before I dive in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/the-older-i-get-and-the-more-fiction-i-write-the-more-i-outline-the/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/education-is-a-progressive-discovery-of-our-own-ignorance/) [Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/) > [The European talks of progress because by the aid of a few scientific discoveries he has established a society which has mistaken comfort for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/the-european-talks-of-progress-because-by-the-aid-of-a-few-scientific/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) > [“In December of 2007 human bones including skulls, which have been radiocarbon dated back to between 1304 and 1424, were found in a museum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-one/in-december-of-2007-human-bones-including-skulls-which-have-been/) Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater One > [Discovery is the ability to be puzzled by simple things. 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