--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He didn't much like reading novels - he…" description: "\"“He didn't much like reading novels - he preferred history or philosophy - or poetry, although he could read only a little poetry at a time, because wh..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74b/claire-messud-1372_books_he-didn-t-much-like-reading-novels-he-pr_2228755.png" --- # He didn't much like reading novels - he preferred history… ![“He didn't much like reading novels - he preferred history or philosophy - or poetry, although he could read only a little poetry at a time, because when a poem "spoke to him" it was as if a brilliant, agonizing light had been turned upon some tiny, private cell of his soul.” quote by Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74b/claire-messud-1372_books_he-didn-t-much-like-reading-novels-he-pr_2228755.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74b/claire-messud-1372_books_he-didn-t-much-like-reading-novels-he-pr_2228755.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74b/claire-messud-1372_books_he-didn-t-much-like-reading-novels-he-pr_2228755.png) > ““He didn't much like reading novels - he preferred history or philosophy - or poetry, although he could read only a little poetry at a time, because when a poem "spoke to him" it was as if a brilliant, agonizing light had been turned upon some tiny, private cell of his soul.”” [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reading poetry can be overwhelming, as each poem can illuminate a private, intense part of the soul. **In simple terms:** Poetry can intensely reveal inner feelings. Key Takeaway Approach poetry with patience and openness. Themes art emotion introspection Mood contemplative intimate Type literary reflective When to use this quote - reading sessions - creative writing workshops - personal reflection Key Concepts poetry subjective experience sensory perception Questions to Reflect On - What does a poem reveal about you? - How can you manage intense emotional responses to art? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Little Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-poetry-665314/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Philosophy Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-poetry-1186716/) [Poem Spoke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poem-spoke-5005596/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Poetry Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry-read-585689/) [Read Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/read-little-381685/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Reading novels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading-novels/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I wish you would read a little poetry sometimes. Your ignorance cramps my conversation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hope/i-wish-you-would-read-a-little-poetry-sometimes-your-ignorance-cramps/) [Anthony Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hope/) > [This is going to sound nuts but it took me forever to figure out why I'd stopped writing poetry - I mean, I went…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/achy-obejas/this-is-going-to-sound-nuts-but-it-took-me-forever-to-figure-out-why/) [Achy Obejas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/achy-obejas/) > [Personally I always feel like I could use a little more of poetry apothegmatic power in my own work but we're always lacking something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/personally-i-always-feel-like-i-could-use-a-little-more-of-poetry/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [Where philosophy ends, poetry must commence. There should not be a common point of view, a natural manner of thinking which standsin contrast to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/where-philosophy-ends-poetry-must-commence-there-should-not-be-a/) [Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/) > [“The experience of mankind on the earth is always changing as man develops and has to deal with new combinations of elements; and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-wilson/the-experience-of-mankind-on-the-earth-is-always-changing-as-man/) [Edmund Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-wilson/) > [Philosophy becomes poetry, and science imagination, in the enthusiasm of genius.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-d-israeli/philosophy-becomes-poetry-and-science-imagination-in-the-enthusiasm/) [Isaac D'Israeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-d-israeli/) > [One has only as much morality as one has philosophy and poetry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/one-has-only-as-much-morality-as-one-has-philosophy-and-poetry/) [Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/) > [In Dogen's writing, the practical instruction, philosophy and poetry are together in one voice. People hear about his poetry, go to his work, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuaki-tanahashi/in-dogen-s-writing-the-practical-instruction-philosophy-and-poetry/) [Kazuaki Tanahashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuaki-tanahashi/) > [“But while we are confined to books, though the most select and classic, and read only particular written languages, which are themselves but dialects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-while-we-are-confined-to-books-though-the-most-select-and-classic/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Zen is not a philosophy, it is poetry. It does not propose, it simply persuades. It does not argue, it simply sings its own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/zen-is-not-a-philosophy-it-is-poetry-it-does-not-propose-it-simply/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [“15. “Master Filippus believes that three disciplines define us as humans,” Miri said while they walked to the peat pits. “History, Philosophy, and Poetry.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-hale/15-master-filippus-believes-that-three-disciplines-define-us-as/) [Shannon Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-hale/) > [The philosophy of poetry must acknowledge that the poetic act has no past, at least no recent past, in which its preparation and appearance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaston-bachelard/the-philosophy-of-poetry-must-acknowledge-that-the-poetic-act-has-no/) [Gaston Bachelard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaston-bachelard/) > [“Poetry and Philosophy (The Sonnet) Good poetry is but philosophy, Good philosophy is but poetry. It is only the majority amateurs, Who insist on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/poetry-and-philosophy-the-sonnet-good-poetry-is-but-philosophy-good/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“What is a course of history, or philosophy, or poetry, no matter how well selected, or the best society, or the most admirable routine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/what-is-a-course-of-history-or-philosophy-or-poetry-no-matter-how/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Why is it that all men who are outstanding in philosophy, poetry or the arts are melancholic?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/why-is-it-that-all-men-who-are-outstanding-in-philosophy-poetry-or/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) ## More by Claire Messud > [I'd wish for my work to be remembered rather than myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/i-d-wish-for-my-work-to-be-remembered-rather-than-myself/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [I have said it somewhere - our literary lived lives are as important as our literally lived lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/i-have-said-it-somewhere-our-literary-lived-lives-are-as-important-as/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“Life is about deciding what matters. It’s about the fantasy that determines the reality. Have you ever asked yourself whether you’d rather fly or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/life-is-about-deciding-what-matters-it-s-about-the-fantasy-that/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [Life's funny. 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'I want -- for God's sake, I want to wake up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/i-don-t-want-to-sleep-my-mother-said-i-want-for-god-s-sake-i-want-to/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“It was supposed to say “Great Artist” on my tombstone, but if I died right now it would say “such a good teacher/​daughter/​friend” instead;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/it-was-supposed-to-say-great-artist-on-my-tombstone-but-if-i-died/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“Live, my dear Nora. Satisfy your hunger. There's food all around you, you know.' 'What kind of food, I'd like to know?' 'Ah'-he smiled-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/live-my-dear-nora-satisfy-your-hunger-there-s-food-all-around-you-you/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [I digress a lot - it's how I experience the world. I would like to write in a way that will convey that to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/i-digress-a-lot-it-s-how-i-experience-the-world-i-would-like-to-write/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [We think that - as kids, you know - that kids make up stories and live in a sort of fictional place, but that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/we-think-that-as-kids-you-know-that-kids-make-up-stories-and-live-in/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“It makes sense that if you stand almost daily in the middle of a perfect crescent of shore, with a vista open to eternity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/it-makes-sense-that-if-you-stand-almost-daily-in-the-middle-of-a/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“Once aware of my isolation, I was afraid not of it but of its interruption.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/once-aware-of-my-isolation-i-was-afraid-not-of-it-but-of-its/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“who I am in my head, very few people really get to see that. Almost none. It’s the most precious gift I can give,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/who-i-am-in-my-head-very-few-people-really-get-to-see-that-almost/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“My everyday Appleton life, my phones calls to my father, my occasional beers with friends, my Saturday-morning jobs around the reservoir - what was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/my-everyday-appleton-life-my-phones-calls-to-my-father-my-occasional/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) [Explore all 249 Claire Messud quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) ## More Books quotes > [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/) > [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/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [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/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) [Christopher K. 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Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) [Markus Herz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-herz/) > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“He didn't much like reading novels - he preferred history or philosophy - or poetry, although he could read only a little poetry at a time, because when a poem \"spoke to him\" it was as if a brilliant, agonizing light had been turned upon some tiny, private cell of his soul.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Claire Messud" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/he-didn-t-much-like-reading-novels-he-preferred-history-or-philosophy/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/he-didn-t-much-like-reading-novels-he-preferred-history-or-philosophy/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74b/claire-messud-1372_books_he-didn-t-much-like-reading-novels-he-pr_2228755.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74b/claire-messud-1372_books_he-didn-t-much-like-reading-novels-he-pr_2228755.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74b/claire-messud-1372_books_he-didn-t-much-like-reading-novels-he-pr_2228755.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“He didn't much like reading novels - he preferred history or philosophy - or poetry, although he could read…” — Claire Messud", "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": "Claire Messud", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“He didn't much like reading novels...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/he-didn-t-much-like-reading-novels-he-preferred-history-or-philosophy/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/he-didn-t-much-like-reading-novels-he-preferred-history-or-philosophy/#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 } } ] } ```