--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A serious bibliophile never lends his…" description: "\"“A serious bibliophile never lends his books. In fact he does not even read his books, for fear of wearing them out.”\" — Gérard de Nerval" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/984/g-rard-de-nerval-14793_bibliophile_a-serious-bibliophile-never-lends-his-bo_2084582.jpg" --- # A serious bibliophile never lends his books. In fact he… ![“A serious bibliophile never lends his books. In fact he does not even read his books, for fear of wearing them out.” quote by Gérard de Nerval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/984/g-rard-de-nerval-14793_bibliophile_a-serious-bibliophile-never-lends-his-bo_2084582.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/984/g-rard-de-nerval-14793_bibliophile_a-serious-bibliophile-never-lends-his-bo_2084582.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/984/g-rard-de-nerval-14793_bibliophile_a-serious-bibliophile-never-lends-his-bo_2084582.jpg) > ““A serious bibliophile never lends his books. In fact he does not even read his books, for fear of wearing them out.”” [Gérard de Nerval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-rard-de-nerval/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A true lover of books protects them from wear, even at the cost of not reading them. **In simple terms:** Bibliophiles may hoard books rather than use them. Key Takeaway Respect and preserve valuable resources. Themes books preservation reading ownership Mood thoughtful analytical Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - library curation - personal collections - archival work Key Concepts bibliophilia material culture psychology of ownership Questions to Reflect On - Do you value books more as objects or ideas? - How can we share while protecting? A Different Perspective Preservation can become obsessive, limiting knowledge sharing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bibliophile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bibliophile/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [The man who never lends his books probably remembers how he acquired them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/the-man-who-never-lends-his-books-probably-remembers-how-he-acquired/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [I don't trust books. They're all fact, no heart. And that's exactly what's pulling our country apart today. Because face it, folks, we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/i-don-t-trust-books-they-re-all-fact-no-heart-and-that-s-exactly-what/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [I don't like books, they're all fact, no heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/i-don-t-like-books-they-re-all-fact-no-heart/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [I don't trust books. They're all fact and no heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/i-don-t-trust-books-they-re-all-fact-and-no-heart/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [“If you add up how much you read in a year on the Internet—tweets, Facebook posts, lists—you’ve read the equivalent of a shit ton…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-noah/if-you-add-up-how-much-you-read-in-a-year-on-the-internet-tweets/) [Trevor Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-noah/) > [“It is often much harder to get rid of books than it is to acquire them. They stick to us in that pact of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-mar-a-dom-nguez/it-is-often-much-harder-to-get-rid-of-books-than-it-is-to-acquire/) [Carlos María Domínguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-mar-a-dom-nguez/) > [“It needs to be repeated that books are much more than merely vehicles for text. Awareness of the way a book is created, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roderick-cave-sara-ayad/it-needs-to-be-repeated-that-books-are-much-more-than-merely-vehicles/) Roderick Cave & Sara Ayad > [“The house I grew up in is one of a kind. It’s a bibliophile’s fantasy, and if the Library of Congress had a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/the-house-i-grew-up-in-is-one-of-a-kind-it-s-a-bibliophile-s-fantasy/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [I'm the farthest thing from a bibliophile. I purge my collection regularly: If I haven't read a book in a couple of years, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-m-the-farthest-thing-from-a-bibliophile-i-purge-my-collection/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [To a bibliophile, there is but one thing better than a box of new books, and that is a box of old ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-thomas/to-a-bibliophile-there-is-but-one-thing-better-than-a-box-of-new/) [Will Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-thomas/) > [“For all her faults, it was actually my mom who instilled in me a love of reading, and books, for which I will always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-gruben/for-all-her-faults-it-was-actually-my-mom-who-instilled-in-me-a-love/) [Paula Gruben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-gruben/) > [A bibliophile has approximately the same relationship to literature as a philatelist to geography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/a-bibliophile-has-approximately-the-same-relationship-to-literature/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Holy borrowing bibliophile, let's book!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/holy-borrowing-bibliophile-let-s-book/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [“He pinched the remaining chapters’ pages delicately between his fingers and sighed. He always hated reaching the end of a good book.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-e-zapanta/he-pinched-the-remaining-chapters-pages-delicately-between-his/) [David S.E. Zapanta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-e-zapanta/) > [“Book Bans Are Dumb (Sonnet 1587) Book bans are dumb, It makes the mind numb. If banning books were justice, Middle ages would've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/book-bans-are-dumb-sonnet-1587-book-bans-are-dumb-it-makes-the-mind/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) ## More by Gérard de Nerval > [“What is madness...to go on platonically loving a woman who will never love you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-rard-de-nerval/what-is-madness-to-go-on-platonically-loving-a-woman-who-will-never/) [Gérard de Nerval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-rard-de-nerval/) > [“How lovely she was in her raiments of silk and levantine purple; the fabric provocatively set off the sheen of her white shoulders, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-rard-de-nerval/how-lovely-she-was-in-her-raiments-of-silk-and-levantine-purple-the/) [Gérard de Nerval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-rard-de-nerval/) > [“My brow still burns from the kiss of the queen; I have dreamed in the grotto where the siren swims . . .”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-rard-de-nerval/my-brow-still-burns-from-the-kiss-of-the-queen-i-have-dreamed-in-the/) [Gérard de Nerval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-rard-de-nerval/) > [“Don’t wait up for me tonight, for the night will be black and white.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-rard-de-nerval/don-t-wait-up-for-me-tonight-for-the-night-will-be-black-and-white/) [Gérard de Nerval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-rard-de-nerval/) > [“Illusions fall away one after another like the husks of a fruit, and that fruit is experience. It is bitter to the taste, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-rard-de-nerval/illusions-fall-away-one-after-another-like-the-husks-of-a-fruit-and/) [Gérard de Nerval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-rard-de-nerval/) > [“Sleep occupies a third of our life. It is the consolation to the woes of our days or the woe of their pleasures; but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-rard-de-nerval/sleep-occupies-a-third-of-our-life-it-is-the-consolation-to-the-woes/) [Gerard de Nerval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-rard-de-nerval/) > [The intoxication of the faro drinker only shows itself at first by an increase in noise which is only deafening, and finally by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-rard-de-nerval/the-intoxication-of-the-faro-drinker-only-shows-itself-at-first-by-an/) [Gerard De Nerval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-rard-de-nerval/) > [Man, do you think yours is the only soul? Look around you. Everything that you see quivers with being. Though your thoughts are free,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-rard-de-nerval/man-do-you-think-yours-is-the-only-soul-look-around-you-everything/) [Gerard De Nerval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-rard-de-nerval/) > [God is dead!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-rard-de-nerval/god-is-dead/) [Gerard De Nerval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-rard-de-nerval/) > [“The last madness I’ll probably persist in is to believe myself a poet: it will be up to the critics to cure me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-rard-de-nerval/the-last-madness-i-ll-probably-persist-in-is-to-believe-myself-a-poet/) [Gérard de Nerval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-rard-de-nerval/) > [“It is impossible for a Parisian to resist the desire to flick through the old volumes laid out by a bookseller. \[ Il est…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-rard-de-nerval/it-is-impossible-for-a-parisian-to-resist-the-desire-to-flick-through/) [Gérard de Nerval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-rard-de-nerval/) > [İstanbul is a magical seal which unites Europe and Asia since the ancient times. Without a doubt, Istanbul is certainly the most beautiful place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-rard-de-nerval/i-stanbul-is-a-magical-seal-which-unites-europe-and-asia-since-the/) [Gerard De Nerval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-rard-de-nerval/) > [“Everything is alive, everything is in motion, everything corresponds; the magnetic rays that emanate from me or from others flow directly through the infinite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-rard-de-nerval/everything-is-alive-everything-is-in-motion-everything-corresponds/) [Gérard de Nerval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-rard-de-nerval/) > [How have I been able to live so long outside Nature without identifying myself with it? Everything lives, moves, everything corresponds; the magnetic rays,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-rard-de-nerval/how-have-i-been-able-to-live-so-long-outside-nature-without/) [Gerard De Nerval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-rard-de-nerval/) > [I have always differentiated between two types of friends; those who want proofs of friendship, and those who do not. One kind loves me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-rard-de-nerval/i-have-always-differentiated-between-two-types-of-friends-those-who/) [Gerard De Nerval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-rard-de-nerval/) [Explore all 40 Gérard de Nerval quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-rard-de-nerval/) ## More Bibliophile quotes > [“Book Bans Are Dumb (Sonnet 1587) Book bans are dumb, It makes the mind numb. If banning books were justice, Middle ages would've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/book-bans-are-dumb-sonnet-1587-book-bans-are-dumb-it-makes-the-mind/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“He pinched the remaining chapters’ pages delicately between his fingers and sighed. He always hated reaching the end of a good book.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-e-zapanta/he-pinched-the-remaining-chapters-pages-delicately-between-his/) [David S.E. Zapanta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-e-zapanta/) > [Holy borrowing bibliophile, let's book!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/holy-borrowing-bibliophile-let-s-book/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [A bibliophile has approximately the same relationship to literature as a philatelist to geography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/a-bibliophile-has-approximately-the-same-relationship-to-literature/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [“For all her faults, it was actually my mom who instilled in me a love of reading, and books, for which I will always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-gruben/for-all-her-faults-it-was-actually-my-mom-who-instilled-in-me-a-love/) [Paula Gruben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-gruben/) > [To a bibliophile, there is but one thing better than a box of new books, and that is a box of old ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-thomas/to-a-bibliophile-there-is-but-one-thing-better-than-a-box-of-new/) [Will Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-thomas/) > [I'm the farthest thing from a bibliophile. I purge my collection regularly: If I haven't read a book in a couple of years, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-m-the-farthest-thing-from-a-bibliophile-i-purge-my-collection/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [“The house I grew up in is one of a kind. It’s a bibliophile’s fantasy, and if the Library of Congress had a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/the-house-i-grew-up-in-is-one-of-a-kind-it-s-a-bibliophile-s-fantasy/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“It needs to be repeated that books are much more than merely vehicles for text. Awareness of the way a book is created, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roderick-cave-sara-ayad/it-needs-to-be-repeated-that-books-are-much-more-than-merely-vehicles/) Roderick Cave & Sara Ayad > [“It is often much harder to get rid of books than it is to acquire them. They stick to us in that pact of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-mar-a-dom-nguez/it-is-often-much-harder-to-get-rid-of-books-than-it-is-to-acquire/) [Carlos María Domínguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-mar-a-dom-nguez/) > [“Coffee makes you alert, books make you awake. Booze makes you forget life, books bring you to life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/coffee-makes-you-alert-books-make-you-awake-booze-makes-you-forget/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“That must be something to discover a book that nobody's ever heard of or everybody thought was lost." "It's every bibliophile's dream," said Francis,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-lovett/that-must-be-something-to-discover-a-book-that-nobody-s-ever-heard-of/) [Charlie Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-lovett/) > [Her library would have been valuable to a bibliophile except she treated her books execrably. I would rarely open a volume that she had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/her-library-would-have-been-valuable-to-a-bibliophile-except-she/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) > [“It is odd, isn’t it? Whenever I read something interesting, I tear out a piece and keep it as a talisman until I find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/it-is-odd-isn-t-it-whenever-i-read-something-interesting-i-tear-out-a/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [“I was in a bibliophile's Eylsium.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-moers/i-was-in-a-bibliophile-s-eylsium/) [Walter Moers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-moers/) [Browse all 48 Bibliophile quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bibliophile/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“A serious bibliophile never lends his books. 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