---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are books that I read years ago…"
description: "\"There are books that I read years ago that enlivened things in me that haven't died yet.\" — George Saunders"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c8/george-saunders-317_book_there-are-books-that-i-read-years-ago-th_68345.jpg"
---

#  There are books that I read years ago that enlivened…

![“There are books that I read years ago that enlivened things in me that haven't died yet.” quote by George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c8/george-saunders-317_book_there-are-books-that-i-read-years-ago-th_68345.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c8/george-saunders-317_book_there-are-books-that-i-read-years-ago-th_68345.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c8/george-saunders-317_book_there-are-books-that-i-read-years-ago-th_68345.jpg)

> “There are books that I read years ago that enlivened things in me that haven't died yet.”

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Past readings can spark lasting inspiration that continues to influence us long after the books are finished.

**In simple terms:** Enduring impact of literature

Key Takeaway

Books can ignite lifelong vitality

Themes

nostalgia personal growth literary influence memory motivation

Mood

reflective hopeful

Type

inspirational philosophical

When to use this quote

- reflecting on past reads
- seeking motivation
- creative brainstorming

Key Concepts

transformative reading emotional resonance

Practical Applications

- writing workshops
- personal development programs

Questions to Reflect On

- How have past books shaped your current goals?
- What does it mean for a story to 'enliven' you?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Ago Enlivened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ago-enlivened-905167/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Books Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books-read/) [Died](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/died/) [Enlivened Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enlivened-things-905166/) [Havens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/havens/) [Read Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/read-years-905168/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) [Years ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-ago/)

## Related quotes

> [“I read more than I had in years-novels, short stories, three long nonfiction books about how we had stumbled into the Iraq mess (the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/i-read-more-than-i-had-in-years-novels-short-stories-three-long/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [I've been reading since I could read, which was about four or five years old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/i-ve-been-reading-since-i-could-read-which-was-about-four-or-five/)

[Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/)

> [I have lots of gaps in my education, and so I'm often picking up classic books that most people read years ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-grann/i-have-lots-of-gaps-in-my-education-and-so-i-m-often-picking-up/)

[David Grann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-grann/)

> [The best book I read in 2007 was Stoner by John Williams. It’s perhaps the best book I’ve read in years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-elliott/the-best-book-i-read-in-2007-was-stoner-by-john-williams-it-s-perhaps/)

[Stephen Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-elliott/)

> [I discovered fantasy and science fiction when I was about 10, and read nothing else for about three years. I ran out of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/i-discovered-fantasy-and-science-fiction-when-i-was-about-10-and-read/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“Emma has been meaning to read more ever since she was twelve years old. I have seen a great many lists of her drawing-up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/emma-has-been-meaning-to-read-more-ever-since-she-was-twelve-years/)

[Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/)

> [“Some books you never get over, like a first love. Some books that made an enormous impression on you when you were young you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darryl-pinckney/some-books-you-never-get-over-like-a-first-love-some-books-that-made/)

[Darryl Pinckney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darryl-pinckney/)

> [The test of a writer is whether you want to read him again years after he should by the rules be dated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/the-test-of-a-writer-is-whether-you-want-to-read-him-again-years/)

[Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/)

> [I want to write books that can be read a hundred years from now, and readers wouldn't be bogged down by irrelevant details.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-lethem/i-want-to-write-books-that-can-be-read-a-hundred-years-from-now-and/)

[Jonathan Lethem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-lethem/)

> [Long ago, when I was a very young girl, I said that I wanted to go everywhere, see everything, taste everything. hear everything, touch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madalyn-murray-o-hair/long-ago-when-i-was-a-very-young-girl-i-said-that-i-wanted-to-go/)

[Madalyn Murray O'Hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madalyn-murray-o-hair/)

> [I read books to read myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sven-birkerts/i-read-books-to-read-myself/)

[Sven Birkerts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sven-birkerts/)

> [I read true crime books, and I read when people do case studies of stuff. I'm into books like that. Case studies or forensics…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-araya/i-read-true-crime-books-and-i-read-when-people-do-case-studies-of/)

[Tom Araya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-araya/)

> [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/)

[Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/)

> [“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/)

> [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/)

## More by George Saunders

> [Success is like a mountain in front of you that keeps growing. If you're not careful, it will take up your whole life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/success-is-like-a-mountain-in-front-of-you-that-keeps-growing-if-you/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [“Wow wow wow is all I can say! Remember how I always buy lunchtime Scratch-Off ticket? Have I said? Maybe did not say? Well,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/wow-wow-wow-is-all-i-can-say-remember-how-i-always-buy-lunchtime/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [“None of it was real; nothing was real. Everything was real; inconceivably real, infinitely dear. These and all things started as nothing, latent within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/none-of-it-was-real-nothing-was-real-everything-was-real/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [“We must see God not as a Him (some linear rewarding fellow) but an IT, a great beast beyond our understanding, who wants something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/we-must-see-god-not-as-a-him-some-linear-rewarding-fellow-but-an-it-a/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [America, to me, should be shouting all the time, a bunch of shouting voices, most of them wrong, some of them nuts, but please,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/america-to-me-should-be-shouting-all-the-time-a-bunch-of-shouting/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [In my case, when I am trying to be "kind" I often default in a sort of toothless loving-all stance that is, actually, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/in-my-case-when-i-am-trying-to-be-kind-i-often-default-in-a-sort-of/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [Whatever your supposed politics are - left, right - if you put it in a human connection, most people will rise to the occasion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/whatever-your-supposed-politics-are-left-right-if-you-put-it-in-a/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [“A Clinton staffer tells me his theory. Think about Frank Sinatra, he says: born to sing. Think about Willie Mays: born to play ball.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/a-clinton-staffer-tells-me-his-theory-think-about-frank-sinatra-he/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [We try, we fail, we posture, we aspire, we pontificate - and then we age, shrink, die, and vanish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/we-try-we-fail-we-posture-we-aspire-we-pontificate-and-then-we-age/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [“You were torturing a cat," she says. "With a freaking prod." "A prod I built myself in metal shop," he says. "But of course…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/you-were-torturing-a-cat-she-says-with-a-freaking-prod-a-prod-i-built/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [“Rachel got up and did this happy little shuffle, like she was some cheerful farmer chick who'd just stepped outside to find the hick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/rachel-got-up-and-did-this-happy-little-shuffle-like-she-was-some/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [What America is, to me, is a guy doesn't want to buy, you let him not buy, you respect his not buying. A guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/what-america-is-to-me-is-a-guy-doesn-t-want-to-buy-you-let-him-not/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [What good the prophet in the wilderness may do is incremental and personal. It's good for us to hear someone speak the irrational truth.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/what-good-the-prophet-in-the-wilderness-may-do-is-incremental-and/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [We're in the transition between birth and death. But the one that people often know about is the transition between the moment of death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/we-re-in-the-transition-between-birth-and-death-but-the-one-that/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [You don't want to be that parent - the one who dresses his kid in a cloth sack when all the other kids are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/you-don-t-want-to-be-that-parent-the-one-who-dresses-his-kid-in-a/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

[Explore all 690 George Saunders quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

## More Book 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/)

> [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/)

> [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/)

> [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/)

> [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/)

[Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/)

> [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/)

[Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/)

> [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/)

[Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/)

> [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/)

[Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/)

> [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/)

[Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/)

> [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/)

[Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/)

> [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

[Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "There are books that I read years ago that enlivened things in me that haven't died yet.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "George Saunders"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/there-are-books-that-i-read-years-ago-that-enlivened-things-in-me/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Book"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/there-are-books-that-i-read-years-ago-that-enlivened-things-in-me/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c8/george-saunders-317_book_there-are-books-that-i-read-years-ago-th_68345.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c8/george-saunders-317_book_there-are-books-that-i-read-years-ago-th_68345.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c8/george-saunders-317_book_there-are-books-that-i-read-years-ago-th_68345.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There are books that I read years ago that enlivened things in me that haven't died yet.” — George Saunders",
                "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 Saunders",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "There are books that I read...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/there-are-books-that-i-read-years-ago-that-enlivened-things-in-me/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/there-are-books-that-i-read-years-ago-that-enlivened-things-in-me/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
