--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The misery of having no time to read a…" description: "\"“The misery of having no time to read a thousand glorious books.”\" — George Gissing" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4d/george-gissing-7774_books_the-misery-of-having-no-time-to-read-a-t_2238792.jpg" --- # The misery of having no time to read a thousand glorious… ![“The misery of having no time to read a thousand glorious books.” quote by George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4d/george-gissing-7774_books_the-misery-of-having-no-time-to-read-a-t_2238792.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4d/george-gissing-7774_books_the-misery-of-having-no-time-to-read-a-t_2238792.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4d/george-gissing-7774_books_the-misery-of-having-no-time-to-read-a-t_2238792.jpg) > ““The misery of having no time to read a thousand glorious books.”” [George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Lack of time prevents one from reading many valuable books, highlighting a common modern frustration. **In simple terms:** Too busy to read many books. Key Takeaway Prioritize reading time. Themes time management reading knowledge literature personal growth Mood thoughtful yearning introspective Type motivational literary When to use this quote - daily schedule planning - commuting reading - book clubs - audio books Key Concepts habit formation information overload literary appreciation Questions to Reflect On - What books would you read if you had more time? - How can you integrate reading into daily routines? A Different Perspective Reading alone cannot replace deep comprehension; quality matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Misery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misery/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [A thousand glorious actions that might claim Triumphant laurels, and immortal fame, Confus'd in crowds of glorious actions lie, And troops of heroes undistinguished…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/a-thousand-glorious-actions-that-might-claim-triumphant-laurels-and/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [Not being able to sleep is terrible. You have the misery of having partied all night... Without the satisfaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-johnston/not-being-able-to-sleep-is-terrible-you-have-the-misery-of-having/) [Lynn Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-johnston/) > [Where love is absent, misery is having a picnic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/where-love-is-absent-misery-is-having-a-picnic/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“There is no more merit in having read a thousand books than in having ploughed a thousand fields.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/there-is-no-more-merit-in-having-read-a-thousand-books-than-in-having/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [Read a thousand books, and your words will flow like a river.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/read-a-thousand-books-and-your-words-will-flow-like-a-river/) [Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/) > [A book read by a thousand different people is a thousand different books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-tarkovsky/a-book-read-by-a-thousand-different-people-is-a-thousand-different/) [Andrei Tarkovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-tarkovsky/) > [“Ah, Stefan, give me a man or woman who has read a thousand books and you give me an interesting companion. Give me a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/ah-stefan-give-me-a-man-or-woman-who-has-read-a-thousand-books-and/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) > [If I finish a book a week, I will read only a few thousand books in my lifetime, about a tenth of a percent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/if-i-finish-a-book-a-week-i-will-read-only-a-few-thousand-books-in-my/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Give me a man or woman who has read a thousand books and you give me an interesting companion. Give me a man or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/give-me-a-man-or-woman-who-has-read-a-thousand-books-and-you-give-me/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) > [“It’s like you’re a book I’ve read a thousand time without ever picking up. Your prose that effortlessly falls off my tongue and yet,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-noffke/it-s-like-you-re-a-book-i-ve-read-a-thousand-time-without-ever/) [Sarah Noffke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-noffke/) > [You live a thousand lives when you read a thousand books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/you-live-a-thousand-lives-when-you-read-a-thousand-books/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [“Reading two pages apiece of seven books every night, eh? I was young. You bowed to yourself in the mirror, stepping forward to applause…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/reading-two-pages-apiece-of-seven-books-every-night-eh-i-was-young-2/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [I've read a thousand private-eye novels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-black/i-ve-read-a-thousand-private-eye-novels/) [Shane Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-black/) > [You know you are in love when you read a thousand love quotes and there's one person you think about the whole time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/you-know-you-are-in-love-when-you-read-a-thousand-love-quotes-and/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [ There's a fantastic, thousand-page book by David Thomson about \[David O. Selznick\]. Again, it's not the best argument or the best advertisement for his… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karina-longworth/there-s-a-fantastic-thousand-page-book-by-david-thomson-about-david-o/) [Karina Longworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karina-longworth/) ## More by George Gissing > [Money is made at Christmas out of holly and mistletoe, but who save the vendors would greatly care if no green branch were procurable?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/money-is-made-at-christmas-out-of-holly-and-mistletoe-but-who-save/) [George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) > [It is familiarity with life that makes time speed quickly. When every day is a step in the unknown, as for children, the days…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/it-is-familiarity-with-life-that-makes-time-speed-quickly-when-every/) [George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) > [Time is money says the proverb, but turn it around and you get a precious truth. Money is time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/time-is-money-says-the-proverb-but-turn-it-around-and-you-get-a/) [George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) > [Perhaps it is while drinking tea that I most of all enjoy the sense of leisure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/perhaps-it-is-while-drinking-tea-that-i-most-of-all-enjoy-the-sense/) [George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) > [The mind which renounces, once and for ever, a futile hope, has its compensation in ever-growing calm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/the-mind-which-renounces-once-and-for-ever-a-futile-hope-has-its/) [George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) > [“I don't advise. You mutn't give any weight to what I say, except in so far as your own judgment approves it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/i-don-t-advise-you-mutn-t-give-any-weight-to-what-i-say-except-in-so/) [George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) > [“The truth was that nature had endowed them with a larger share of brains than was common in their circle, and had added that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/the-truth-was-that-nature-had-endowed-them-with-a-larger-share-of/) [George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) > [“Her womanhood went eagerly to meet him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/her-womanhood-went-eagerly-to-meet-him/) [George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) > [Money is made at Christmas out of holly and mistletoe, but who save the vendors would greatly care if no green branch were procurable?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/money-is-made-at-christmas-out-of-holly-and-mistletoe-but-who-save-2/) [George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) > [I have the happiness of a passing moment, and what more can mortal ask?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/i-have-the-happiness-of-a-passing-moment-and-what-more-can-mortal-ask/) [George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) > [For the man sound of body and serene of mind there is no such thing as bad weather; every day has its beauty, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/for-the-man-sound-of-body-and-serene-of-mind-there-is-no-such-thing/) [George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) > [Human creatures have a mervellous power of adapting themselves to necessity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/human-creatures-have-a-mervellous-power-of-adapting-themselves-to/) [George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) > [I am much better employed from every point of view, when I live solely for my own satisfaction, than when I begin to worry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/i-am-much-better-employed-from-every-point-of-view-when-i-live-solely/) [George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) > [“One doesn’t like to do brutal things if one can avoid them, you know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/one-doesn-t-like-to-do-brutal-things-if-one-can-avoid-them-you-know/) [George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) > [I hate with a bitter hatred the names of lentils haricots - those pretentious cheats of the appetite, those tabulated humbugs, those certified aridites…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/i-hate-with-a-bitter-hatred-the-names-of-lentils-haricots-those/) [George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) [Explore all 87 George Gissing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) ## 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 > [“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. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. 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 > [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": "“The misery of having no time to read a thousand glorious books.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Gissing" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/the-misery-of-having-no-time-to-read-a-thousand-glorious-books/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/the-misery-of-having-no-time-to-read-a-thousand-glorious-books/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4d/george-gissing-7774_books_the-misery-of-having-no-time-to-read-a-t_2238792.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4d/george-gissing-7774_books_the-misery-of-having-no-time-to-read-a-t_2238792.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4d/george-gissing-7774_books_the-misery-of-having-no-time-to-read-a-t_2238792.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The misery of having no time to read a thousand glorious books.” — George Gissing", "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": "George Gissing", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The misery of having no time...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/the-misery-of-having-no-time-to-read-a-thousand-glorious-books/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/the-misery-of-having-no-time-to-read-a-thousand-glorious-books/#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 } } ] } ```