--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I believe that we should read only those…" description: "\"I believe that we should read only those books that bite and sting us. If a book we are reading does not rouse us with a blow to the head, then why rea..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/310/franz-kafka-214_believe_i-believe-that-we-should-read-only-those_344460.jpg" --- # I believe that we should read only those books that bite… ![“I believe that we should read only those books that bite and sting us. If a book we are reading does not rouse us with a blow to the head, then why read it?” quote by Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/310/franz-kafka-214_believe_i-believe-that-we-should-read-only-those_344460.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/310/franz-kafka-214_believe_i-believe-that-we-should-read-only-those_344460.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/310/franz-kafka-214_believe_i-believe-that-we-should-read-only-those_344460.jpg) > “I believe that we should read only those books that bite and sting us. If a book we are reading does not rouse us with a blow to the head, then why read it?” [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Only books that provoke strong emotional reactions are worth reading, as they stimulate thought and growth. **In simple terms:** Read books that move you strongly. Key Takeaway Seek literature that challenges you. Themes literature emotion growth Mood introspective stimulating Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - college courses - self‑education - book clubs - creative writing Key Concepts provocative reading personal development Questions to Reflect On - What book has shaken your perspective? - How do you handle uncomfortable ideas? A Different Perspective Not all powerful books are accessible to everyone. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Book reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-reading/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [“Altogether, I think we ought to read only books that bite and sting us. If the book we are reading doesn't shake us awake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/altogether-i-think-we-ought-to-read-only-books-that-bite-and-sting-us-2/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [“Altogether, I think we ought to read only books that bite and sting us. If the book we are reading doesn’t shake us awake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/altogether-i-think-we-ought-to-read-only-books-that-bite-and-sting-us/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [I believe that we should only read those books that bite and sting us. If a book does not rouse us with a blow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/i-believe-that-we-should-only-read-those-books-that-bite-and-sting-us/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [If the book we are reading does not wake us, as with a fist hammering on our skull, why then do we read? So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/if-the-book-we-are-reading-does-not-wake-us-as-with-a-fist-hammering-3/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [If the book we are reading does not wake us, as with a fist hammering on our skull, why then do we read it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/if-the-book-we-are-reading-does-not-wake-us-as-with-a-fist-hammering/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [Altogether, I think we ought to read only books that bite and sting us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/altogether-i-think-we-ought-to-read-only-books-that-bite-and-sting-us-3/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's not an accident that successful people read more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/it-s-not-an-accident-that-successful-people-read-more-books/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [I read books all the time, I'm always reading. I'm not like somebody that reads really fast or a lot or anything, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-owens/i-read-books-all-the-time-i-m-always-reading-i-m-not-like-somebody/) [Christopher Owens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-owens/) > [“326. Excessive reading does not make us smarter. Some people simply "devour" books. They do it without the necessary intervals of thought, which are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alija-ali-izetbegovic/326-excessive-reading-does-not-make-us-smarter-some-people-simply/) [Alija Ali Izetbegovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alija-ali-izetbegovic/) > [“What reading does, ultimately, is keep alive the dangerous and exhilarating idea that a life is not a sequence of lived moments, but a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sven-birkerts/what-reading-does-ultimately-is-keep-alive-the-dangerous-and-2/) [Sven Birkerts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sven-birkerts/) > [“Clothes does not make the person; reading does.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laxleyval-sagasta/clothes-does-not-make-the-person-reading-does/) Laxleyval Sagasta > [One of the things reading does, it makes your loneliness manageable if you are an essentially lonely person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/one-of-the-things-reading-does-it-makes-your-loneliness-manageable-if/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [“What reading does...is keep alive the dangerous and exhilarating idea that life is not sequenced of lived moments, but a destiny.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sven-birkerts/what-reading-does-is-keep-alive-the-dangerous-and-exhilarating-idea/) [Sven Birkerts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sven-birkerts/) > [“I'm certain indeed, I think there's no doubt of it - that reading does young people much harm. It puts things into their heads…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miss-grizzy/i-m-certain-indeed-i-think-there-s-no-doubt-of-it-that-reading-does/) Miss Grizzy > [A ton of reading does not equal one good teacher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-ton-of-reading-does-not-equal-one-good-teacher/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Franz Kafka > [ “The tremendous world I have inside my head. But how \[to\] free myself and free it without being torn to pieces. And a thousand… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/the-tremendous-world-i-have-inside-my-head-but-how-to-free-myself-and/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [What I write is different from what I say, what I say is different from what I think, what I think is different from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/what-i-write-is-different-from-what-i-say-what-i-say-is-different/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [“A fine setting for a fit of despair,” it occurred to him, “if I were only standing here by accident instead of design.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/a-fine-setting-for-a-fit-of-despair-it-occurred-to-him-if-i-were-only/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [“Ali svi se slažu u tome da se ne podižu lakomislene optužbe i da se sud, kad jedanput nekog optuži i kad je uvjeren…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/ali-svi-se-sla-u-u-tome-da-se-ne-podi-u-lakomislene-optu-be-i-da-se/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [My job is unbearable to me because it conflicts with my only desire and my only calling, which is literature. Since I am nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/my-job-is-unbearable-to-me-because-it-conflicts-with-my-only-desire/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [Faith, like a guillotine. As heavy, as light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/faith-like-a-guillotine-as-heavy-as-light/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [You need not even listen, just wait...the world will offer itself freely to you, unmasking itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/you-need-not-even-listen-just-wait-the-world-will-offer-itself-freely/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [“I will cross hundreds of seas and oceans without sinking to reach you, see your eyes and sink completely into their depths.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/i-will-cross-hundreds-of-seas-and-oceans-without-sinking-to-reach-you/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [I have no memory for things I have learned, nor things I have read, nor things experienced or heard, neither for people nor events;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/i-have-no-memory-for-things-i-have-learned-nor-things-i-have-read-nor/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [“This sounds crazy, but it is so. Nor is it perhaps really love when I say that for me you are the most beloved;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/this-sounds-crazy-but-it-is-so-nor-is-it-perhaps-really-love-when-i/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [The more horses you yoke the quicker everything will go - not the rending of the block from its foundation, which is impossible, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/the-more-horses-you-yoke-the-quicker-everything-will-go-not-the/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [Martyrs do not underrate the body, they allow it to be elevated on the cross. In this they are at one with their antagonists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/martyrs-do-not-underrate-the-body-they-allow-it-to-be-elevated-on-the/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [The true way goes over a line that, rather than spanning heights, is hardly above the ground. It appears more decidedly to make one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/the-true-way-goes-over-a-line-that-rather-than-spanning-heights-is/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [Every new discovery is assumed at once into the sum total of knowledge, and with that ceases in a sense to be a discovery;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/every-new-discovery-is-assumed-at-once-into-the-sum-total-of/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [“Sou de pedra. Sou a minha própria pedra tumular, sem nenhum interstício para a dúvida ou para a fé, para o amor ou para…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/sou-de-pedra-sou-a-minha-pr-pria-pedra-tumular-sem-nenhum-interst-cio/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) [Explore all 741 Franz Kafka quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. 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Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I believe that we should read only those books that bite and sting us. 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