--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A few months ago, I was sitting morosely…" description: "\"“A few months ago, I was sitting morosely at my desk, wondering why I had ever agreed to review Barbara Bush: A Memoir for an English newspaper. The ex..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/380/christopher-hitchens-117_1996_a-few-months-ago-i-was-sitting-morosely_342157.jpg" --- # A few months ago, I was sitting morosely at my desk… ![“A few months ago, I was sitting morosely at my desk, wondering why I had ever agreed to review Barbara Bush: A Memoir for an English newspaper. The experience was proving to be a degradation of the act of reading. Imagine, if you will, being strapped into a chair and made to listen to Liberace…” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/380/christopher-hitchens-117_1996_a-few-months-ago-i-was-sitting-morosely_342157.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/380/christopher-hitchens-117_1996_a-few-months-ago-i-was-sitting-morosely_342157.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/380/christopher-hitchens-117_1996_a-few-months-ago-i-was-sitting-morosely_342157.jpg) > ““A few months ago, I was sitting morosely at my desk, wondering why I had ever agreed to review Barbara Bush: A Memoir for an English newspaper. The experience was proving to be a degradation of the act of reading. Imagine, if you will, being strapped into a chair and made to listen to Liberace playing the piano for hour upon hour. Or imagine being fed chocolate dinner mints, like a hapless goose, until you are on the verge of explosion. Such was my lot.”” [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author describes the reading experience as tedious and degrading, likening it to forced, unpleasant sensory overload. **In simple terms:** Reading the memoir feels like an unbearable, forced listening session. Key Takeaway Avoid engaging with material that feels oppressive. Themes literary criticism frustration overstimulation Mood irritated disappointed cynical Type critical personal reflective When to use this quote - book reviews - academic assignments - media consumption - personal reflection Key Concepts cognitive overload reader fatigue critical analysis Questions to Reflect On - What makes a text feel oppressive to you? - How can you reframe a tedious reading to find value? A Different Perspective The comparison may exaggerate personal dislike, not reflecting the memoir's actual value. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [1996](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zz-1996-484/) [Barbara Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barbara-bush/) [Bush Memoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bush-memoir-2723816/) [Literary criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literary-criticism/) [Memoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memoir/) [Memoir English](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memoir-english-3178729/) [Newspapers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/newspapers/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Review Barbara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/review-barbara-3178728/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [The last book I read to my mom was 'Barbara Bush: A Memoir' published by mom in 1994. It reflected on their entire life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-bush/the-last-book-i-read-to-my-mom-was-barbara-bush-a-memoir-published-by/) [Neil Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-bush/) > [“If only religion were an opiate. No known narcotic rots the brain so fast.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/if-only-religion-were-an-opiate-no-known-narcotic-rots-the-brain-so/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“Nobody knows how many North Koreans have died or are dying in the famine—some estimates by foreign-aid groups run as high as three million…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/nobody-knows-how-many-north-koreans-have-died-or-are-dying-in-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Bush's memoir is 512 pages. To be fair, 200 of those pages are just games and puzzles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/bush-s-memoir-is-512-pages-to-be-fair-200-of-those-pages-are-just/) [Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/) > [ “There are no hard problems, only problems that are hard to a certain level of intelligence. Move the smallest bit upwards \[in intelligence\] and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/there-are-no-hard-problems-only-problems-that-are-hard-to-a-certain/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [“Dripping charnel grounds of light - I examine hope & fear - blue-black body monster of enlightenment - call me Youthful Lightning Bolt -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-olmsted/dripping-charnel-grounds-of-light-i-examine-hope-fear-blue-black-body/) [Marc Olmsted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-olmsted/) > [“Dream: I look for Lama Lodrö Kagyu teacher friend hearing he's ill & I'm ill, too - I enter his room and he says…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-olmsted/dream-i-look-for-lama-lodr-kagyu-teacher-friend-hearing-he-s-ill-i-m/) [Marc Olmsted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-olmsted/) > [“I think the case is so strong that I can tell you the day you see a camera come into our courtroom, it's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-think-the-case-is-so-strong-that-i-can-tell-you-the-day-you-see-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“In the contest of upward mobility, Barack and Michelle Obama have won. But they’ve won by being twice as good—and enduring twice as much.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-the-contest-of-upward-mobility-barack-and-michelle-obama-have-won/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [People just automatically say 'If this guy is George and Barbara Bush's son, we don't have any question about those personal qualities that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-teeter/people-just-automatically-say-if-this-guy-is-george-and-barbara-bush/) [Robert Teeter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-teeter/) > [“For most of my life, I would have automatically said that I would opt for conscientious objector status, and in general, I still would.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rakoff/for-most-of-my-life-i-would-have-automatically-said-that-i-would-opt/) [David Rakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rakoff/) > [I was one of the first people to almost actually vomit over hearing the use of the phrase "family values" and I pride myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-poundstone/i-was-one-of-the-first-people-to-almost-actually-vomit-over-hearing/) [Paula Poundstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-poundstone/) > [Barbara Bush has her finger on the pulse of America. Im so glad shes back and more compassionate than ever, ... Thats right, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-bernhard/barbara-bush-has-her-finger-on-the-pulse-of-america-im-so-glad-shes/) [Sandra Bernhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-bernhard/) > [Almost all first ladies have had tremendous power on personnel issues, whether the public realized it or not, whether it was Barbara Bush or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-dee-myers/almost-all-first-ladies-have-had-tremendous-power-on-personnel-issues/) [Dee Dee Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-dee-myers/) > [“I look like Barbara Bush in drag." Aunt Jettie”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-harper/i-look-like-barbara-bush-in-drag-aunt-jettie/) [Molly Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-harper/) ## More by Christopher Hitchens > [“The spirit of our accurate and exact philosophy is outraged by conclusions that contradict each other so glaringly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/the-spirit-of-our-accurate-and-exact-philosophy-is-outraged-by/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“Many governments employ torture but this was the first time that the element of Saturnalia and pornography in the process had been made so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/many-governments-employ-torture-but-this-was-the-first-time-that-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [ It's \[Los Angeles\] mostly full of nonsense and delusion and egomania. They think they'll be young and beautiful forever, even though most of them… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-los-angeles-mostly-full-of-nonsense-and-delusion-and-egomania/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [To be against rationalization is not the same as to be opposed to reasoning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/to-be-against-rationalization-is-not-the-same-as-to-be-opposed-to/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [ \[Religion\] attacks us in our deepest integrity - the core of our self-respect. Religion says that we would not know right from wrong, we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/religion-attacks-us-in-our-deepest-integrity-the-core-of-our-self/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“In the very recent past, we have seen the Church of Rome befouled by its complicity with the unpardonable sin of child rape, or,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/in-the-very-recent-past-we-have-seen-the-church-of-rome-befouled-by/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's surprising to me how many of my friends send Christmas cards, or holiday cards, including my atheist and secular friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-surprising-to-me-how-many-of-my-friends-send-christmas-cards-or/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Suppose there were groups of secularists at hospitals who went round the terminally ill and urged them to adopt atheism: 'Don't be a mug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/suppose-there-were-groups-of-secularists-at-hospitals-who-went-round/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [There are, after all, atheists who say they wish the fable were true but are unable to suspend the requisite disbelief, or who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/there-are-after-all-atheists-who-say-they-wish-the-fable-were-true/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“It isn’t so long since a test of Anglican orthodoxy was applied to anyone seeking to study or teach at Oxford and Cambridge universities.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-isn-t-so-long-since-a-test-of-anglican-orthodoxy-was-applied-to/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Gullibility and credulity are considered undesireable qualities in every department of human life - except religion ... Why are we praised by godly men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/gullibility-and-credulity-are-considered-undesireable-qualities-in/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's much worse to see a woman drunk than a man: I don't know quite why this is true but it just is. Don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-much-worse-to-see-a-woman-drunk-than-a-man-i-don-t-know-quite/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's true that obscenity is a matter of taste and in the eye of the beholder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-true-that-obscenity-is-a-matter-of-taste-and-in-the-eye-of-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [I worked out early on to give up things I couldn't do well at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/i-worked-out-early-on-to-give-up-things-i-couldn-t-do-well-at-all/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Writing is what's important to me, and anything that helps me do that - or enhances and prolongs and deepens and sometimes intensifies argument…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/writing-is-what-s-important-to-me-and-anything-that-helps-me-do-that/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) [Explore all 1,241 Christopher Hitchens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) ## More 1996 quotes > [“Dripping charnel grounds of light - I examine hope & fear - blue-black body monster of enlightenment - call me Youthful Lightning Bolt -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-olmsted/dripping-charnel-grounds-of-light-i-examine-hope-fear-blue-black-body/) [Marc Olmsted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-olmsted/) > [“Dream: I look for Lama Lodrö Kagyu teacher friend hearing he's ill & I'm ill, too - I enter his room and he says…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-olmsted/dream-i-look-for-lama-lodr-kagyu-teacher-friend-hearing-he-s-ill-i-m/) [Marc Olmsted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-olmsted/) > [“If only religion were an opiate. No known narcotic rots the brain so fast.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/if-only-religion-were-an-opiate-no-known-narcotic-rots-the-brain-so/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“Nobody knows how many North Koreans have died or are dying in the famine—some estimates by foreign-aid groups run as high as three million…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/nobody-knows-how-many-north-koreans-have-died-or-are-dying-in-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“I think the case is so strong that I can tell you the day you see a camera come into our courtroom, it's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-think-the-case-is-so-strong-that-i-can-tell-you-the-day-you-see-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ “There are no hard problems, only problems that are hard to a certain level of intelligence. Move the smallest bit upwards \[in intelligence\] and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/there-are-no-hard-problems-only-problems-that-are-hard-to-a-certain/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) [Browse all 7 1996 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zz-1996-484/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“A few months ago, I was sitting morosely at my desk, wondering why I had ever agreed to review Barbara Bush: A Memoir for an English newspaper. The experience was proving to be a degradation of the act of reading. Imagine, if you will, being strapped into a chair and made to listen to Liberace playing the piano for hour upon hour. Or imagine being fed chocolate dinner mints, like a hapless goose, until you are on the verge of explosion. 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