--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My definition of good literature is that…" description: "\"My definition of good literature is that which can be read by an educated reader, and reread with increased pleasure.\" — Gene Wolfe" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/232/gene-wolfe-2530_books_my-definition-of-good-literature-is-that_1105516.jpg" --- # My definition of good literature is that which can be read… ![“My definition of good literature is that which can be read by an educated reader, and reread with increased pleasure.” quote by Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/232/gene-wolfe-2530_books_my-definition-of-good-literature-is-that_1105516.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/232/gene-wolfe-2530_books_my-definition-of-good-literature-is-that_1105516.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/232/gene-wolfe-2530_books_my-definition-of-good-literature-is-that_1105516.jpg) > “My definition of good literature is that which can be read by an educated reader, and reread with increased pleasure.” [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Good literature endures, rewarding educated readers with deeper enjoyment upon rereading. **In simple terms:** Literature that grows richer with each reading. Key Takeaway Read works multiple times for deeper insight. Themes literature education pleasure depth re‑reading Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type literary reflective When to use this quote - academic study - book clubs - personal reading - creative writing Key Concepts aesthetics cognitive development canon formation Questions to Reflect On - What texts have you discovered anew on a second read? - How does education shape literary appreciation? A Different Perspective Not all readers have the time or background for multiple readings. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Definition Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/definition-good-332201/) [Definitions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/definitions/) [Educated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/educated/) [Educated Reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/educated-reader-1148064/) [Good literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-literature/) [Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature/) [Literature Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature-read-471453/) [Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure/) [Reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reader/) [Reader Reread](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reader-reread-2919501/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [Why you fool, it's the educated reader who can be gulled. 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When I read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-payne/apollinaire-said-a-poet-should-be-of-his-time-i-say-objects-of-the/) [Roman Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-payne/) > [“Since the Renaissance, Shakespeare, Rembrandt, Mozart, and a host of others have shown that this religious dimension can be experienced and communicated apart from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-kaufmann/since-the-renaissance-shakespeare-rembrandt-mozart-and-a-host-of/) [Walter Kaufmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-kaufmann/) > [Great literature, if we read it well, opens us up to the world and makes us more sensitive to it, as if we acquired…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-hall/great-literature-if-we-read-it-well-opens-us-up-to-the-world-and/) [Donald Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-hall/) > [Literature is that which he can not read without pain, without choking on truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-barthes/literature-is-that-which-he-can-not-read-without-pain-without-choking/) [Roland Barthes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-barthes/) > [I like European and South American literature, but mostly I read nonfiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessa-crispin/i-like-european-and-south-american-literature-but-mostly-i-read/) [Jessa Crispin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessa-crispin/) > [Our great problem, is that children now know whatever they want to know - at the press of a button they can discover all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/our-great-problem-is-that-children-now-know-whatever-they-want-to/) [Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/) > [“But literature is unique. 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But it is a sign of great inner insecurity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/it-is-right-that-you-should-read-according-to-your-temperament/) [Anaïs Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [My favorite literature to read is fairly dry history. I like the framework, and my imagination can do the rest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-bird/my-favorite-literature-to-read-is-fairly-dry-history-i-like-the/) [Andrew Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-bird/) ## More by Gene Wolfe > [Some writers say they cannot write in front of a window; many say they cannot function without almost perfect quiet. 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I doubt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/ambiguity-is-necessary-in-some-of-my-stories-not-in-all-in-those-it/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [“There are beings—and artifacts—against which we batter our intelligence raw, and in the end make peace with reality only by saying, “It was an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/there-are-beings-and-artifacts-against-which-we-batter-our/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [Science has so accustomed us to devising and accepting theories to account for the facts we observe, however fantastic, that our minds must begin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/science-has-so-accustomed-us-to-devising-and-accepting-theories-to/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [“The experienced feel love or desire, or both. The inexperienced are sick with a thousand feelings, most of them unformed: fearful that they may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/the-experienced-feel-love-or-desire-or-both-the-inexperienced-are/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [“For those who have never attended a science fiction convention, masquerades are features of most of the larger ones. Awards are presented for best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/for-those-who-have-never-attended-a-science-fiction-convention/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [“He had a wild yellow beard and long, tangled hair that stood out from his head in a way that made it seem too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/he-had-a-wild-yellow-beard-and-long-tangled-hair-that-stood-out-from/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [ ...in some situations winning consist\[s\] of disentangling oneself. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/in-some-situations-winning-consist-s-of-disentangling-oneself/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [“For after all, if the lives of most men are examined in detail, it will be found that they have been experts of immense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/for-after-all-if-the-lives-of-most-men-are-examined-in-detail-it-will/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [You never learn how to write a novel. You just learn how to write the novel that you're writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/you-never-learn-how-to-write-a-novel-you-just-learn-how-to-write-the/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [There is no magic. There is only knowledge, more or less hidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/there-is-no-magic-there-is-only-knowledge-more-or-less-hidden/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [“...the progress of science depends much less upon either theoretical considerations or systematic investigation than is commonly believed, but rather on the transmittal of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/the-progress-of-science-depends-much-less-upon-either-theoretical/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [“Whatever we may say, all of us suffer from disturbed sleep at times. Some in truth hardly sleep, though some who sleep copiously swear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/whatever-we-may-say-all-of-us-suffer-from-disturbed-sleep-at-times/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [“. . .Consciousness came and went. Consciousness went and came like the errant winds of spring, and I, who so often have had difficulty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/consciousness-came-and-went-consciousness-went-and-came-like-the/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) [Explore all 160 Gene Wolfe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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. 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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": "My definition of good literature is that which can be read by an educated reader, and reread with increased pleasure.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gene Wolfe" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/my-definition-of-good-literature-is-that-which-can-be-read-by-an/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/my-definition-of-good-literature-is-that-which-can-be-read-by-an/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/232/gene-wolfe-2530_books_my-definition-of-good-literature-is-that_1105516.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/232/gene-wolfe-2530_books_my-definition-of-good-literature-is-that_1105516.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/232/gene-wolfe-2530_books_my-definition-of-good-literature-is-that_1105516.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My definition of good literature is that which can be read by an educated reader, and reread with increased…” — Gene Wolfe", "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": "Gene Wolfe", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My definition of good literature is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/my-definition-of-good-literature-is-that-which-can-be-read-by-an/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/my-definition-of-good-literature-is-that-which-can-be-read-by-an/#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 } } ] } ```