---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'd always liked to read, but when I…"
description: "\"I'd always liked to read, but when I picked up books I wasn't getting the same kind of excitement from them that I was from going out clubbing. I wante..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c66/irvine-welsh-843_book_i-d-always-liked-to-read-but-when-i-pick_1318167.png"
---

#  I'd always liked to read, but when I picked up books I…

![“I'd always liked to read, but when I picked up books I wasn't getting the same kind of excitement from them that I was from going out clubbing. I wanted to get the same kind of feel.” quote by Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c66/irvine-welsh-843_book_i-d-always-liked-to-read-but-when-i-pick_1318167.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c66/irvine-welsh-843_book_i-d-always-liked-to-read-but-when-i-pick_1318167.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c66/irvine-welsh-843_book_i-d-always-liked-to-read-but-when-i-pick_1318167.png)

> “I'd always liked to read, but when I picked up books I wasn't getting the same kind of excitement from them that I was from going out clubbing. I wanted to get the same kind of feel.”

[Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/)

## About This Quote

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

The author compares reading to clubbing, seeking the same thrill from books as from nightlife.

**In simple terms:** Reading feels less exciting than partying.

Key Takeaway

Find ways to make reading as engaging as social activities.

Themes

literature entertainment comparison culture personal growth

Mood

reflective curious thoughtful

Type

observational analytical motivational

When to use this quote

- seeking excitement
- social life
- personal hobbies
- balancing leisure
- cultural exploration

Key Concepts

engagement experience media consumption

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you make reading more immersive?
- What aspects of clubbing could be translated into reading?

A Different Perspective

Reading may not always replicate the immediacy of social thrills.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Excitement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excitement/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/)

## Related quotes

> [“Our library isn't very extensive," said Anne, "but every book in it is a friend. We've picked our books up through the years, here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-m-montgomery/our-library-isn-t-very-extensive-said-anne-but-every-book-in-it-is-a/)

[L.M. Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-m-montgomery/)

> [I picked books by their covers - the worse the cover, the more I wanted to read it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmet-zappa/i-picked-books-by-their-covers-the-worse-the-cover-the-more-i-wanted/)

[Ahmet Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmet-zappa/)

> [My first novel was turned down by half a dozen publishers. And even after having published five or six books, I wasn't making enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-rankin/my-first-novel-was-turned-down-by-half-a-dozen-publishers-and-even/)

[Ian Rankin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-rankin/)

> [It wasn’t in books. It wasn’t in a church. What I needed to know was out there in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fulghum/it-wasn-t-in-books-it-wasn-t-in-a-church-what-i-needed-to-know-was/)

[Robert Fulghum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fulghum/)

> [I liked to read but, being a dancer, I didn't have a lot of time to read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-farrell/i-liked-to-read-but-being-a-dancer-i-didn-t-have-a-lot-of-time-to-read/)

[Suzanne Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-farrell/)

> [Growing up, as a kid, I loved to read. I liked to read books that were above my range. I always tried to aim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hidetaka-miyazaki/growing-up-as-a-kid-i-loved-to-read-i-liked-to-read-books-that-were/)

[Hidetaka Miyazaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hidetaka-miyazaki/)

> [He liked to read with the silence and the golden color of the whiskey as his companions. He liked food, people, talk, but reading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-salter/he-liked-to-read-with-the-silence-and-the-golden-color-of-the-whiskey/)

[James Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-salter/)

> [“The only light was a standing lamp by his chair, near his elbow was a drink. He liked to read with the silence and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-salter/the-only-light-was-a-standing-lamp-by-his-chair-near-his-elbow-was-a/)

[James Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-salter/)

> [“She was glad to have met someone who liked to read.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becky-chambers/she-was-glad-to-have-met-someone-who-liked-to-read/)

[Becky Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becky-chambers/)

> [I refuse to believe that clubbing is how people are supposed to meet to establish relationships on a level for beyond what we consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-richardson/i-refuse-to-believe-that-clubbing-is-how-people-are-supposed-to-meet/)

[Jon Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-richardson/)

> [I have been told by people that I should not be seen clubbing with good-looking women, but I can't see why not. Why be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-blunt/i-have-been-told-by-people-that-i-should-not-be-seen-clubbing-with/)

[James Blunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-blunt/)

> [I'm not into clubbing. I want to be known for my work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-tisdale/i-m-not-into-clubbing-i-want-to-be-known-for-my-work/)

[Ashley Tisdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-tisdale/)

> [Just gimme the gees an we be clubbing yow. Gal a make we please and we be thuggin' now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-paul/just-gimme-the-gees-an-we-be-clubbing-yow-gal-a-make-we-please-and-we/)

[Sean Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-paul/)

> [It's a part of hip-hop, rave culture. But moving on from whistles, in the future we want to release Greco-Roman wine. Our friends are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-goddard/it-s-a-part-of-hip-hop-rave-culture-but-moving-on-from-whistles-in/)

[Joe Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-goddard/)

> [To go clubbing, I wear a short denim skirt paired with a white shirt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rituparna-sengupta/to-go-clubbing-i-wear-a-short-denim-skirt-paired-with-a-white-shirt/)

[Rituparna Sengupta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rituparna-sengupta/)

## More by Irvine Welsh

> [ I don't see \[ Trainspotting \] as an albatross, I see it more as a calling card. It's got me out to Hollywood, I've… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/i-don-t-see-trainspotting-as-an-albatross-i-see-it-more-as-a-calling/)

[Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/)

> [He emphasised basic truths: you are not dying yet, you have to live your life until you are. Underpinning them was the belief that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/he-emphasised-basic-truths-you-are-not-dying-yet-you-have-to-live/)

[Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/)

> [“Without this kickstart to my day, I'd be lost. A day without a morning run is a day you fumble through, rather than one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/without-this-kickstart-to-my-day-i-d-be-lost-a-day-without-a-morning/)

[Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/)

> [“There's nae reasoning wi some cats. You say 'reason', they mew 'treason'. Ken?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/there-s-nae-reasoning-wi-some-cats-you-say-reason-they-mew-treason-ken/)

[Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/)

> [It's crazy for somebody who's kind of empowered and wealthy like myself to say, "Oh, I don't need to be patronized by the state,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/it-s-crazy-for-somebody-who-s-kind-of-empowered-and-wealthy-like/)

[Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/)

> [When you go away, you see where you come from in a different light. I see Scotland, and the rest of Britain, as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/when-you-go-away-you-see-where-you-come-from-in-a-different-light-i/)

[Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/)

> [If it's something that I feel uncomfortable with, that's a reason for me to write it. I kind of like to make myself feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/if-it-s-something-that-i-feel-uncomfortable-with-that-s-a-reason-for/)

[Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/)

> [There's nothing worse than a violent beating from an unremarkable person. Physical violence with someone is too much like shagging them. Too much id…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/there-s-nothing-worse-than-a-violent-beating-from-an-unremarkable/)

[Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/)

> [If I stop working and publishing, and TV, and film and all that, I would be dead within a couple of weeks. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/if-i-stop-working-and-publishing-and-tv-and-film-and-all-that-i-would/)

[Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/)

> [I can see why the Russians love Robert Burns, I think that Russians and Koreans have a very similar outlook to Scots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/i-can-see-why-the-russians-love-robert-burns-i-think-that-russians/)

[Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/)

> [If you continue to transfer the wealth of the population of the planet to a very small amount of people, it becomes untenable at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/if-you-continue-to-transfer-the-wealth-of-the-population-of-the/)

[Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/)

> [Most middle-class people I know don't really live like me. Middle-class people worry a lot about money. They worry a lot about job security,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/most-middle-class-people-i-know-don-t-really-live-like-me-middle/)

[Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/)

> [As soon as you've written it, you're thinking about how it can move into different mediums.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/as-soon-as-you-ve-written-it-you-re-thinking-about-how-it-can-move/)

[Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/)

> [“Begbie doesnae even notice; he's in his element, particularly good at funerals in the way a lot ay psychopaths tend tae be. Ah suppose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/begbie-doesnae-even-notice-he-s-in-his-element-particularly-good-at/)

[Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/)

> [I'm more of a warrior than you'll ever be. I believe in the class war. I believe in the battle of the sexes. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/i-m-more-of-a-warrior-than-you-ll-ever-be-i-believe-in-the-class-war/)

[Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/)

[Explore all 348 Irvine Welsh quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/)

## 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": "I'd always liked to read, but when I picked up books I wasn't getting the same kind of excitement from them that I was from going out clubbing. I wanted to get the same kind of feel.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Irvine Welsh"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/i-d-always-liked-to-read-but-when-i-picked-up-books-i-wasn-t-getting/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Book"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/i-d-always-liked-to-read-but-when-i-picked-up-books-i-wasn-t-getting/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c66/irvine-welsh-843_book_i-d-always-liked-to-read-but-when-i-pick_1318167.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c66/irvine-welsh-843_book_i-d-always-liked-to-read-but-when-i-pick_1318167.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c66/irvine-welsh-843_book_i-d-always-liked-to-read-but-when-i-pick_1318167.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I'd always liked to read, but when I picked up books I wasn't getting the same kind of excitement from them…” — Irvine Welsh",
                "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": "Irvine Welsh",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I'd always liked to read, but...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/i-d-always-liked-to-read-but-when-i-picked-up-books-i-wasn-t-getting/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/i-d-always-liked-to-read-but-when-i-picked-up-books-i-wasn-t-getting/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
