Psychopath Quote by Frank Kermode
““Having compared the novel-reader with an infant and a primitive, one can go further and call him a psychopath; and this I shall shortly be doing.””
About This Quote
Source Literary Criticism: The Novel and the Reader, 1975
Comparing readers to infants suggests a naive, instinctive engagement with stories, bordering on pathological obsession.
In simple terms: Reading can be instinctive and obsessive.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the primal urge to read.
Themes
literature
psychology
reading
Mood
analytical
reflective
Type
critical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- book clubs
- education
- personal reading habits
Key Concepts
psychopathology
innocence
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do we sometimes see reading as irrational?
- How does instinct drive literary taste?
A Different Perspective
Labeling readers as psychopaths is hyperbolic.
