Beautiful Quote by George Bernard Shaw
“There is nothing on earth more exquisite than a bonny book, with well-placed columns of rich black writing in beautiful borders, and illuminated pictures cunningly inset. But nowadays, instead of looking at books, people read them. A book might as well be one of those orders for bacon and bran.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Importance of Books, 1905
The quote celebrates the tactile beauty and craftsmanship of physical books, lamenting modern readers' shift to digital consumption.
In simple terms: Physical books are beautiful objects, but people now read them like food.
Key Takeaway
Appreciate the art of books, not just their content.
Themes
literature
craftsmanship
technology
culture
reading
Mood
nostalgic
reflective
Type
observational
critical
When to use this quote
- library visits
- book design appreciation
- reading habits
- educational curricula
Key Concepts
aesthetics
materiality
digital shift
Questions to Reflect On
- How does the medium affect your engagement with a text?
- What value do you find in the physical form of a book?
A Different Perspective
The quote may romanticize physical books while ignoring the accessibility of digital formats.
![“Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three [great teachers] did not tell - they catalyzed a burning desire to know. Under their influence, the horizons sprung wide and fear went away and the unknown became knowable. But most important of…” quote by John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/84c/john-steinbeck-71_art_teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-t_1738.jpg)
