--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was so long writing my review that I…" description: "\"I was so long writing my review that I never got around to reading the book.\" — Groucho Marx" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/801/groucho-marx-788_book_i-was-so-long-writing-my-review-that-i-n_2646486.jpg" --- # I was so long writing my review that I never got around to… ![“I was so long writing my review that I never got around to reading the book.” quote by Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/801/groucho-marx-788_book_i-was-so-long-writing-my-review-that-i-n_2646486.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/801/groucho-marx-788_book_i-was-so-long-writing-my-review-that-i-n_2646486.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/801/groucho-marx-788_book_i-was-so-long-writing-my-review-that-i-n_2646486.jpg) > “I was so long writing my review that I never got around to reading the book.” [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. I spent so much time writing a review that I never actually read the book. **In simple terms:** Overworking on a task can prevent doing the core work. Key Takeaway Prioritize essential tasks over peripheral ones. Themes productivity humor reflection Mood lighthearted self‑critical Type comedic reflective When to use this quote - writing - reading - work habits Key Concepts time management focus Questions to Reflect On - How often do you over‑prepare without execution? - What strategies improve task completion? A Different Perspective The joke highlights a common procrastination pattern, not a universal truth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [The first time I saw a review of one of my permaculture books was three years after I first started writing on it. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mollison/the-first-time-i-saw-a-review-of-one-of-my-permaculture-books-was/) [Bill Mollison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mollison/) > ['Harry Potter' is the first book that ever got me into reading. I had to read it in year 7, for school, and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-macdonald/harry-potter-is-the-first-book-that-ever-got-me-into-reading-i-had-to/) [Danielle Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-macdonald/) > [I just have never got into reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kid-rock/i-just-have-never-got-into-reading/) [Kid Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kid-rock/) > [“Got into reading for fun late in life. Love it!!!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcrum/got-into-reading-for-fun-late-in-life-love-it/) Marcrum > [An important part of any focusing regimen is to set aside time at the end of the day - just before going to sleep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-canfield/an-important-part-of-any-focusing-regimen-is-to-set-aside-time-at-the/) [Jack Canfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-canfield/) > [I was in the original cast of 'Wicked', and that got a bad review in 'The New York Times,' and it's the most successful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norbert-leo-butz/i-was-in-the-original-cast-of-wicked-and-that-got-a-bad-review-in-the/) [Norbert Leo Butz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norbert-leo-butz/) > [Confronted by an absolutely infuriating review, it is sometimes helpful for the victim to do a little personal research on the critic. Is there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-kerr/confronted-by-an-absolutely-infuriating-review-it-is-sometimes/) [Jean Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-kerr/) > [Recently I made the mistake of opening a bundle of reviews that someone had sent me of a production from years and years ago,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsay-duncan/recently-i-made-the-mistake-of-opening-a-bundle-of-reviews-that/) [Lindsay Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsay-duncan/) > [My work is very much like the restaurant critic's - a number of factors come together to make for a strong review.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-stuever/my-work-is-very-much-like-the-restaurant-critic-s-a-number-of-factors/) [Hank Stuever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hank-stuever/) > [With toilet books, people don't review them that much. They don't really pay much attention to them. It's just like, "Oh, okay. I'll put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-magary/with-toilet-books-people-don-t-review-them-that-much-they-don-t/) [Drew Magary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-magary/) > [I've rarely gotten a good review in my life, yet, to paraphrase Noel Coward, I am happy to console myself with the bitter palliative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-weber/i-ve-rarely-gotten-a-good-review-in-my-life-yet-to-paraphrase-noel/) [Steven Weber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-weber/) > [Since I got a really bad review when I was, like, 28 in 'The New York Times,' I don't read reviews anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-peet/since-i-got-a-really-bad-review-when-i-was-like-28-in-the-new-york/) [Amanda Peet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-peet/) > [I read every single review, because I love film criticism and I'm interested.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-lynskey/i-read-every-single-review-because-i-love-film-criticism-and-i-m/) [Melanie Lynskey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-lynskey/) > [It's my policy not to review funerals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-m-homes/it-s-my-policy-not-to-review-funerals/) [A.M. Homes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-m-homes/) > [On mobile, what are the core apps? It's basically messaging, mapping and review data.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-stoppelman/on-mobile-what-are-the-core-apps-it-s-basically-messaging-mapping-and/) [Jeremy Stoppelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stoppelman/) ## More by Groucho Marx > [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [There is no sweeter sound than the crumbling of one's fellow man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/there-is-no-sweeter-sound-than-the-crumbling-of-one-s-fellow-man/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [Television is where you watch people in your living room that you would not want near your house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/television-is-where-you-watch-people-in-your-living-room-that-you/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [ He \[Groucho's father\] had absolutely no training, and if you had ever seen one of his suits, you'd realize what an accurate statement that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/he-groucho-s-father-had-absolutely-no-training-and-if-you-had-ever/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [Women should be obscene and not heard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/women-should-be-obscene-and-not-heard/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [Why would I want to join an organization that would encourage people like myself to become members.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/why-would-i-want-to-join-an-organization-that-would-encourage-people/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, and that's not saying much for you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/you-re-the-most-beautiful-woman-i-ve-ever-seen-and-that-s-not-saying/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [The only game I like to play is "Old Maid", providing she's not too old](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/the-only-game-i-like-to-play-is-old-maid-providing-she-s-not-too-old/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [Who are you going to believe, me or your own eyes?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/who-are-you-going-to-believe-me-or-your-own-eyes/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [My favourite poem is the one that starts 'Thirty days hath September' because it actually tells you something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/my-favourite-poem-is-the-one-that-starts-thirty-days-hath-september/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [Afraid? Me? A man who's licked his weight in wild caterpillars?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/afraid-me-a-man-who-s-licked-his-weight-in-wild-caterpillars/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [I hate London when it's not raining.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/i-hate-london-when-it-s-not-raining/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [I never forget a face, but in your case I'll be glad to make an exception.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/i-never-forget-a-face-but-in-your-case-i-ll-be-glad-to-make-an/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [Let there be dancing in the streets, drinking in the saloons, and necking in the parlor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/let-there-be-dancing-in-the-streets-drinking-in-the-saloons-and/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [If women dressed for men, the stores wouldn't sell much - just an occasional sun visor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/if-women-dressed-for-men-the-stores-wouldn-t-sell-much-just-an/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) [Explore all 366 Groucho Marx quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) ## 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. 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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": "I was so long writing my review that I never got around to reading the book.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Groucho Marx" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/i-was-so-long-writing-my-review-that-i-never-got-around-to-reading/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/i-was-so-long-writing-my-review-that-i-never-got-around-to-reading/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/801/groucho-marx-788_book_i-was-so-long-writing-my-review-that-i-n_2646486.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/801/groucho-marx-788_book_i-was-so-long-writing-my-review-that-i-n_2646486.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/801/groucho-marx-788_book_i-was-so-long-writing-my-review-that-i-n_2646486.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I was so long writing my review that I never got around to reading the book.” — Groucho Marx", "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": "Groucho Marx", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I was so long writing my...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/i-was-so-long-writing-my-review-that-i-never-got-around-to-reading/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/i-was-so-long-writing-my-review-that-i-never-got-around-to-reading/#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 } } ] } ```