--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A truly good book is something as wildly…" description: "\"A truly good book is something as wildly natural and primitive, mysterious and marvelous, ambrosial and fertile as a fungus or a lichen.\" — Henry David..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44f/henry-david-thoreau-20_book_a-truly-good-book-is-something-as-wildly_2180586.jpg" --- # A truly good book is something as wildly natural and… ![“A truly good book is something as wildly natural and primitive, mysterious and marvelous, ambrosial and fertile as a fungus or a lichen.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44f/henry-david-thoreau-20_book_a-truly-good-book-is-something-as-wildly_2180586.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44f/henry-david-thoreau-20_book_a-truly-good-book-is-something-as-wildly_2180586.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44f/henry-david-thoreau-20_book_a-truly-good-book-is-something-as-wildly_2180586.jpg) > “A truly good book is something as wildly natural and primitive, mysterious and marvelous, ambrosial and fertile as a fungus or a lichen.” [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A great book feels as natural and mysterious as a fungus, offering nourishment and wonder. **In simple terms:** Good books are natural, mysterious, and nourishing. Key Takeaway Seek books that feel alive. Themes literature nature wonder Mood contemplative curious Type inspirational descriptive When to use this quote - reading retreats - nature walks - book clubs Key Concepts aesthetic appreciation organic growth Questions to Reflect On - What book feels most alive to you? - How does nature inspire your reading choices? A Different Perspective Not all readers value “primitive” style. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Fungi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fungi/) [Good book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-book/) [Mysterious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mysterious/) [Primitive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/primitive/) ## Related quotes > [In being wildly natural we recover best from being unnatural, from being spiritual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/in-being-wildly-natural-we-recover-best-from-being-unnatural-from/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [It is a thorough process, this war with the wilderness - breaking nature, taming the soil. feeding it on oats. The civilized man regards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/it-is-a-thorough-process-this-war-with-the-wilderness-breaking-nature/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Nature doth thus kindly heal every wound. By the mediation of a thousand little mosses and fungi, the most unsightly objects become radiant of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/nature-doth-thus-kindly-heal-every-wound-by-the-mediation-of-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Simplicity is the law of Nature for man as well as for flowers. When the tapestry (corolla) of the nuptial bed (calyx) is excessive,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/simplicity-is-the-law-of-nature-for-man-as-well-as-for-flowers-when/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Whether we live by the seaside, or by the lakes and rivers, or on the prarie, it concerns us to attend to the nature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/whether-we-live-by-the-seaside-or-by-the-lakes-and-rivers-or-on-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [So near along life's stream are the fountains of innocence and youth making fertile its sandy margin; and the voyageur will do well to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/so-near-along-life-s-stream-are-the-fountains-of-innocence-and-youth/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The heroic books, even if printed in the character of our mother tongue, will always be in a language dead to degenerate times; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-heroic-books-even-if-printed-in-the-character-of-our-mother/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Even the facts of science may dust the mind by their dryness, unless they are ... rendered fertile by the dews of fresh and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/even-the-facts-of-science-may-dust-the-mind-by-their-dryness-unless/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Where on the globe can there be found an area of equal extent with that occupied by the bulk of our States, so fertile…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/where-on-the-globe-can-there-be-found-an-area-of-equal-extent-with/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I long for wildness, a nature which I cannot put my foot through, woods where the wood thrush forever sings, where the hours are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-long-for-wildness-a-nature-which-i-cannot-put-my-foot-through-woods/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [In 1694 a law was passed "that every settler who deserted a town for fear of the Indians should forfeit all his rights therein."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-1694-a-law-was-passed-that-every-settler-who-deserted-a-town-for/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Heaven is not one of your fertile Ohio bottoms, you may depend on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/heaven-is-not-one-of-your-fertile-ohio-bottoms-you-may-depend-on-it/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Fungi have as much right to life as I do. they know what they want, Bill. Damned if I do anymore.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/fungi-have-as-much-right-to-life-as-i-do-they-know-what-they-want/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [So there you have it: Nature is a rotten mess. But that's only the beginning. If you take your eyes off it for one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-goldberg/so-there-you-have-it-nature-is-a-rotten-mess-but-that-s-only-the/) [Lee Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-goldberg/) > [Why did the mushroom go to the party? Because he's a fungi!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/why-did-the-mushroom-go-to-the-party-because-he-s-a-fungi/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Henry David Thoreau > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Men say they know many things; But lo! they have taken wings, — The arts and sciences, And a thousand appliances; The wind that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-say-they-know-many-things-but-lo-they-have-taken-wings-the-arts/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“This spending of the best part of one's life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/this-spending-of-the-best-part-of-one-s-life-earning-money-in-order/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [A traveler who looks at things with an impartial eye may see what the oldest inhabitant has not observed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-traveler-who-looks-at-things-with-an-impartial-eye-may-see-what-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [In proportion as our inward life fails, we go more constantly and desperately to the post office. You may depend on it, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-proportion-as-our-inward-life-fails-we-go-more-constantly-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-had-three-chairs-in-my-house-one-for-solitude-two-for-friendship/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The still youthful energies of the globe have only to be directed in their proper channel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-still-youthful-energies-of-the-globe-have-only-to-be-directed-in/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Concord's little arch does not span all our fate, nor is what transpires under it law for the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/concord-s-little-arch-does-not-span-all-our-fate-nor-is-what/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The lumberers rarely trouble themselves to put out their fires, such is the dampness of the primitive forest; and this is one cause, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-lumberers-rarely-trouble-themselves-to-put-out-their-fires-such/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“When he has obtained those things which are necessary to life, there is another alternative than to obtain the superfluities; and that is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-he-has-obtained-those-things-which-are-necessary-to-life-there/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Wealth is measured by the level of experience in all aspects of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/wealth-is-measured-by-the-level-of-experience-in-all-aspects-of-life/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Explore all 3,376 Henry David Thoreau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## 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! 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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": "A truly good book is something as wildly natural and primitive, mysterious and marvelous, ambrosial and fertile as a fungus or a lichen.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-truly-good-book-is-something-as-wildly-natural-and-primitive/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-truly-good-book-is-something-as-wildly-natural-and-primitive/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44f/henry-david-thoreau-20_book_a-truly-good-book-is-something-as-wildly_2180586.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44f/henry-david-thoreau-20_book_a-truly-good-book-is-something-as-wildly_2180586.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44f/henry-david-thoreau-20_book_a-truly-good-book-is-something-as-wildly_2180586.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A truly good book is something as wildly natural and primitive, mysterious and marvelous, ambrosial and…” — Henry David Thoreau", "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": "Henry David Thoreau", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A truly good book is something...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-truly-good-book-is-something-as-wildly-natural-and-primitive/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-truly-good-book-is-something-as-wildly-natural-and-primitive/#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 } } ] } ```