--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To read is to surrender oneself to an…" description: "\"To read is to surrender oneself to an endless displacement of curiosity and desire from one sentence to another\" — David Lodge" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/359/david-lodge-11610_books_to-read-is-to-surrender-oneself-to-an-en_1563761.jpg" --- # To read is to surrender oneself to an endless displacement… ![“To read is to surrender oneself to an endless displacement of curiosity and desire from one sentence to another” quote by David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/359/david-lodge-11610_books_to-read-is-to-surrender-oneself-to-an-en_1563761.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/359/david-lodge-11610_books_to-read-is-to-surrender-oneself-to-an-en_1563761.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/359/david-lodge-11610_books_to-read-is-to-surrender-oneself-to-an-en_1563761.jpg) > “To read is to surrender oneself to an endless displacement of curiosity and desire from one sentence to another” [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reading immerses you in a perpetual quest, moving from one idea to the next, driven by curiosity. **In simple terms:** Reading fuels endless curiosity. Key Takeaway Let curiosity guide your reading journey. Themes curiosity reading exploration Mood inquisitive engaged Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - education - leisure reading - research Key Concepts Literary theory desire for knowledge Questions to Reflect On - What drives your reading choices? - How does curiosity shape your learning? A Different Perspective Reading can become escapist, neglecting action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Curiosity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curiosity/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Displacement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/displacement/) [Surrender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surrender/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [to read is to surrender oneself to an endless displacement of curiosity and desire from one sentence to another, from one action to another,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/to-read-is-to-surrender-oneself-to-an-endless-displacement-of/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [The surrender of oneself to a stronger power, the unification of one's own movements with the movements of the whole is what makes dance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-van-der-leeuw/the-surrender-of-oneself-to-a-stronger-power-the-unification-of-one-s/) [Gerard van der Leeuw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-van-der-leeuw/) > [Yes! live life with every fibre of one's being, surrender oneself to it, with no thoughts of rebellion, without deluding oneself that one can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/yes-live-life-with-every-fibre-of-one-s-being-surrender-oneself-to-it-2/) [Emile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/) > [It is not enough that one surrenders oneself. Surrender is to give oneself up to the original cause of one's being. Do not delude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramana-maharshi/it-is-not-enough-that-one-surrenders-oneself-surrender-is-to-give/) [Ramana Maharshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramana-maharshi/) > [It is not enough ... simply to surrender oneself brainlessly to love, when it knocks at the door, one must also calculate because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elfriede-jelinek/it-is-not-enough-simply-to-surrender-oneself-brainlessly-to-love-when/) [Elfriede Jelinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elfriede-jelinek/) > [Surrender is to give oneself up to the original cause of one's being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramana-maharshi/surrender-is-to-give-oneself-up-to-the-original-cause-of-one-s-being/) [Ramana Maharshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramana-maharshi/) > [There was no doubt that curiosity had much to do with it, curiosity and the desire for new experiences; yet it was not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/there-was-no-doubt-that-curiosity-had-much-to-do-with-it-curiosity/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [I've always been blessed, or cursed, some might say, with an insatiable curiosity, a desire to find something out about a people and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-palin/i-ve-always-been-blessed-or-cursed-some-might-say-with-an-insatiable/) [Michael Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-palin/) > [“The value the world sets upon motives is often grossly unjust and inaccurate. 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Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken-2/) > [The scientist is motivated primarily by curiosity and a desire for truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-langmuir/the-scientist-is-motivated-primarily-by-curiosity-and-a-desire-for/) [Irving Langmuir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-langmuir/) > [The life of a mathematician is dominated by an insatiable curiosity, a desire bordering on passion to solve the problems he is studying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-dieudonne/the-life-of-a-mathematician-is-dominated-by-an-insatiable-curiosity-a/) [Jean Dieudonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-dieudonne/) > [My choice of learning pharmacy was driven by my interests, curiosity, and a desire to seek new medicines for patients.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tu-youyou/my-choice-of-learning-pharmacy-was-driven-by-my-interests-curiosity/) [Tu Youyou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tu-youyou/) > [His sudden mad love for Sibyl Vane was a psychological phenomenon of no small interest. There was no doubt that curiosity had much to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/his-sudden-mad-love-for-sibyl-vane-was-a-psychological-phenomenon-of/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“And that’s all magic was: displacement.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohit-sawant/and-that-s-all-magic-was-displacement/) Rohit Sawant > [“What greater sorrow than being forced to leave behind my native earth?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/what-greater-sorrow-than-being-forced-to-leave-behind-my-native-earth/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) ## More by David Lodge > [Universities are the cathedrals of the modern age. They shouldn't have to justify their existence by utilitarian criteria.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/universities-are-the-cathedrals-of-the-modern-age-they-shouldn-t-have/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [“We’re a bundle of incompatible parts, and we make up stories about ourselves to disguise the fact. The mental unity of the individual is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/we-re-a-bundle-of-incompatible-parts-and-we-make-up-stories-about/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [“perhaps it will I said perhaps it will be wonderful perhaps even though it won't be like you think perhaps that won't matter perhaps”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/perhaps-it-will-i-said-perhaps-it-will-be-wonderful-perhaps-even/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [“So they stood upon the shores of Faith and felt the old dogmas and certainties ebbing away rapidly under their feet and between their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/so-they-stood-upon-the-shores-of-faith-and-felt-the-old-dogmas-and/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [Jogging, I believe they call it. It seems to be an epidemic psychological illness afflicting Americans these days. 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The question is almost as difficult to answer as the question, when does the human embryo become a person? ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/when-does-a-novel-begin-the-question-is-almost-as-difficult-to-answer/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [It was Adam Appleby's misfortune that at the moment of awakening from sleep his consciousness was immediately flooded with everything he least wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/it-was-adam-appleby-s-misfortune-that-at-the-moment-of-awakening-from/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [“It was said that the view through the open window above the urinal, straight across the Bay to the Silver Span, was the finest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/it-was-said-that-the-view-through-the-open-window-above-the-urinal/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [“Our friends started life with too many beliefs -- the penalty of a Catholic upbringing. They were weighted down with beliefs, useless answers to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/our-friends-started-life-with-too-many-beliefs-the-penalty-of-a/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [Literature is mostly about having sex and not much about having children. Life is the other way round.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/literature-is-mostly-about-having-sex-and-not-much-about-having/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [Perhaps that's what we're all looking for - desire undiluted by habit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/perhaps-that-s-what-we-re-all-looking-for-desire-undiluted-by-habit/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [Language is the net that holds thought trapped within a particular culture. But if one could only strike the ball with sufficient force, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/language-is-the-net-that-holds-thought-trapped-within-a-particular/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) [Explore all 59 David Lodge quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) ## 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. Krebs > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. 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/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. 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 > [But editors are still the world's readers. 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