--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But what were even gold and silver…" description: "\"“But what were even gold and silver, precious stones and clockwork, to the bookshops, whence a pleasant smell of paper freshly pressed came issuing for..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4a/charles-dickens-34_book_but-what-were-even-gold-and-silver-preci_1525179.jpg" --- # But what were even gold and silver, precious stones and… ![“But what were even gold and silver, precious stones and clockwork, to the bookshops, whence a pleasant smell of paper freshly pressed came issuing forth, awakening instant recollections of some new grammar had at school, long time ago, with ‘Master Pinch, Grove House Academy’, inscribed in…” quote by Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4a/charles-dickens-34_book_but-what-were-even-gold-and-silver-preci_1525179.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4a/charles-dickens-34_book_but-what-were-even-gold-and-silver-preci_1525179.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4a/charles-dickens-34_book_but-what-were-even-gold-and-silver-preci_1525179.jpg) > ““But what were even gold and silver, precious stones and clockwork, to the bookshops, whence a pleasant smell of paper freshly pressed came issuing forth, awakening instant recollections of some new grammar had at school, long time ago, with ‘Master Pinch, Grove House Academy’, inscribed in faultless writing on the fly-leaf! That whiff of russia leather, too, and all those rows on rows of volumes, neatly ranged within – what happiness did they suggest! And in the window were the spick-and-span new works from London, with the title-pages, and sometimes even the first page of the first chapter, laid wide open: tempting unwary men to begin to read the book, and then, in the impossibility of turning over, to rush blindly in, and buy it! Here too were the dainty frontispiece and trim vignette, pointing like hand-posts on the outskirts of great cities to the rich stock of incident beyond; and store of books, with many a grave portrait and time-honoured name, whose matter he knew well, and would have given mines to have, in any form, upon the narrow shelf beside his bed … What a heart-breaking shop it was!”” [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage celebrates the intoxicating allure of books and bookstores, evoking sensory memories and the promise of new worlds within their pages. **In simple terms:** Books enchant, offering escape and discovery. Key Takeaway Cherish the magic of reading. Themes literature nostalgia curiosity sensory experience escape Mood sentimental reflective joyful Type literary nostalgic evocative When to use this quote - visiting a library - browsing a bookstore - seeking inspiration - collecting rare books - studying literature Key Concepts Romanticism material culture memory consumer desire Questions to Reflect On - What does the smell of a book evoke for you? - How does physical media shape your reading experience? A Different Perspective The nostalgia may overlook the practical costs and time spent on material collection. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Bookshops](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bookshops/) [Charles-dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/charles-dickens-2/) [Gold and silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gold-and-silver/) [Precious stones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/precious-stones/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [“Today, as a result of the policy of Macmillan's Government, Great Britain presents in the United Nations the face of Pecksniff and in Katanga…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-cruise-o-brien/today-as-a-result-of-the-policy-of-macmillan-s-government-great/) [Conor Cruise O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-cruise-o-brien/) > [The governess was not much liked in the village. 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That whiff of russia leather, too, and all those rows on rows of volumes, neatly ranged within – what happiness did they suggest! And in the window were the spick-and-span new works from London, with the title-pages, and sometimes even the first page of the first chapter, laid wide open: tempting unwary men to begin to read the book, and then, in the impossibility of turning over, to rush blindly in, and buy it! Here too were the dainty frontispiece and trim vignette, pointing like hand-posts on the outskirts of great cities to the rich stock of incident beyond; and store of books, with many a grave portrait and time-honoured name, whose matter he knew well, and would have given mines to have, in any form, upon the narrow shelf beside his bed … What a heart-breaking shop it was!”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charles Dickens" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/but-what-were-even-gold-and-silver-precious-stones-and-clockwork-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/but-what-were-even-gold-and-silver-precious-stones-and-clockwork-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4a/charles-dickens-34_book_but-what-were-even-gold-and-silver-preci_1525179.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4a/charles-dickens-34_book_but-what-were-even-gold-and-silver-preci_1525179.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4a/charles-dickens-34_book_but-what-were-even-gold-and-silver-preci_1525179.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But what were even gold and silver, precious stones and clockwork, to the bookshops, whence a pleasant smell…” — Charles Dickens", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Charles Dickens", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“But what were even gold and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/but-what-were-even-gold-and-silver-precious-stones-and-clockwork-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/but-what-were-even-gold-and-silver-precious-stones-and-clockwork-to/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```