--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Meant-to-be-picked-up books…" description: "\"“Meant-to-be-picked-up books. Permanently-left-behind books. Uncertain-what-to-do-with books. But books, books.”\" — J. D. Salinger" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bc/j-d-salinger-2-3505_book_meant-to-be-picked-up-books-permanently_62248.jpg" --- # Meant-to-be-picked-up books. Permanently-left-behind… ![“Meant-to-be-picked-up books. Permanently-left-behind books. Uncertain-what-to-do-with books. But books, books.” quote by J. D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bc/j-d-salinger-2-3505_book_meant-to-be-picked-up-books-permanently_62248.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bc/j-d-salinger-2-3505_book_meant-to-be-picked-up-books-permanently_62248.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bc/j-d-salinger-2-3505_book_meant-to-be-picked-up-books-permanently_62248.jpg) > ““Meant-to-be-picked-up books. Permanently-left-behind books. Uncertain-what-to-do-with books. But books, books.”” [J. D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote reflects the paradox of books as both objects to be cherished and abandoned, highlighting the ambivalence of readers toward literature. **In simple terms:** Books evoke mixed feelings of desire and neglect. Key Takeaway Books can be both treasured and ignored. Themes nostalgia literary ambivalence reading culture materialism collecting Mood reflective melancholic contemplative Type aphoristic observational literary When to use this quote - library shelves - personal collections - digital migration - gift exchanges - bookstores Key Concepts attachment abandonment curation value Practical Applications - curating personal libraries - designing reading apps Questions to Reflect On - Why do we hold onto some books and discard others? - What does this tension reveal about our relationship with knowledge? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [The rest, with very little exaggeration, was books. Meant-to-be-picked-up books. Permanently-left-behind books. Uncertain-what-to-do-with books. But books, books. Tall cases lined three walls of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-rest-with-very-little-exaggeration-was-books-meant-to-be-picked/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm not itching to sue Amazon or Wal-Mart... they sell a lot of books. But the future is very uncertain with books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/i-m-not-itching-to-sue-amazon-or-wal-mart-they-sell-a-lot-of-books/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [“Elliot finished his book in bed and pondered going to get another one. He only had so much time left, and he had so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-rees-brennan/elliot-finished-his-book-in-bed-and-pondered-going-to-get-another-one/) [Sarah Rees Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-rees-brennan/) > [I prefer to be left alone with my books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-weir/i-prefer-to-be-left-alone-with-my-books/) [Alison Weir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-weir/) > [“The rest, with very little exaggeration, was books. Meant-to-be-picked-up books. Permanently-left-behind books. Uncertain-what-to-do-with books. But books, books. Tall cases lined three walls of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/the-rest-with-very-little-exaggeration-was-books-meant-to-be-picked-2/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [“And Lukas would tell them to be good to each other, that there were only so many of them left, and that all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-howey/and-lukas-would-tell-them-to-be-good-to-each-other-that-there-were/) [Hugh Howey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-howey/) > [“So now, he hoped, here was a chance to bring mankind back into the book-loving fold. He gloated. There was still no electronics in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/so-now-he-hoped-here-was-a-chance-to-bring-mankind-back-into-the-book/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [I often get asked, 'Is the book dead?' It hasn't happened yet. It's different than music. Music was always meant to be pure sound…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-kidd/i-often-get-asked-is-the-book-dead-it-hasn-t-happened-yet-it-s/) [Chip Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-kidd/) > [If its meant to be, it will be. End of story. Im not chasing you if you're chasing after someone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-its-meant-to-be-it-will-be-end-of-story-im-not-chasing-you-if-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If its meant to be it will be. if not...Let it ride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-its-meant-to-be-it-will-be-if-not-let-it-ride/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Marriage is meant to be more about your surrender than about your satisfaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-means/marriage-is-meant-to-be-more-about-your-surrender-than-about-your/) Scott Means > [Silly me, for a while I thought I actually meant something to someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/silly-me-for-a-while-i-thought-i-actually-meant-something-to-someone/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [“Michael shook his head. "So what's on your good list?" Oh you know. Hero stuff that gets me rerun on CNN. Like, I died…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-collins/michael-shook-his-head-so-what-s-on-your-good-list-oh-you-know-hero/) Shane Collins > [When I was 13, I began relaxing my hair, and that meant when I turned 18 it began to crack and fall off, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soledad-o-brien/when-i-was-13-i-began-relaxing-my-hair-and-that-meant-when-i-turned/) [Soledad O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soledad-o-brien/) > [If we are meant to be, no matter what, no matter how long it takes, we will be together. So I hope that at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ely/if-we-are-meant-to-be-no-matter-what-no-matter-how-long-it-takes-we/) [Ely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ely/) ## More by J. D. Salinger > [... even the most sublimely accomplished non-stop talker can't consistently please.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger-2/even-the-most-sublimely-accomplished-non-stop-talker-can-t/) [J. D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger-2/) > [But where does by far the bulk, the whole ambulance load, of pain really come from? Where must it come from? Isn't the true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger-2/but-where-does-by-far-the-bulk-the-whole-ambulance-load-of-pain/) [J. D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger-2/) > [“Nobody'd be different. The only thing that would be different would be you. Not that you'd be so much older or anything. It wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger-2/nobody-d-be-different-the-only-thing-that-would-be-different-would-be/) [J. D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger-2/) > [Sex is something I really don't understand too hot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger-2/sex-is-something-i-really-don-t-understand-too-hot/) [J. D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger-2/) > [But if we come back, if German men come back, if British men come back, and Japs, and French, and all the other men,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger-2/but-if-we-come-back-if-german-men-come-back-if-british-men-come-back/) [J. D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger-2/) > [Then again you may pick up just enough education to hate people who say, 'It's a secret between he and I.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger-2/then-again-you-may-pick-up-just-enough-education-to-hate-people-who/) [J. D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger-2/) > [The worst thing that being an artist could do to you would be that it would make you slightly unhappy constantly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger-2/the-worst-thing-that-being-an-artist-could-do-to-you-would-be-that-it/) [J. D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger-2/) > [I'm sick of not having the courage to be an absolute nobody. I'm sick of myself and everybody else that wants to make some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger-2/i-m-sick-of-not-having-the-courage-to-be-an-absolute-nobody-i-m-sick/) [J. D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger-2/) > [“You keep records of their troubles. You’ll learn from them. If you want to Just as someday, if you have something to offer, someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger-2/you-keep-records-of-their-troubles-you-ll-learn-from-them-if-you-want/) [J. D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger-2/) > [I'm aware that many of my friends will be saddened and shocked, or shock-saddened, over some of the chapters in 'The Catcher In the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger-2/i-m-aware-that-many-of-my-friends-will-be-saddened-and-shocked-or/) [J. D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger-2/) > [Most stuff that is genuine is better left unsaid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger-2/most-stuff-that-is-genuine-is-better-left-unsaid/) [J. D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger-2/) > [“Sex is something I really don't understand too hot. You never know where the hell you are. I keep making up these sex rules…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger-2/sex-is-something-i-really-don-t-understand-too-hot-you-never-know/) [J. D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger-2/) > [An artist's only concern is to shoot for some kind of perfection, and on his own terms, not anyone else's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger-2/an-artist-s-only-concern-is-to-shoot-for-some-kind-of-perfection-and/) [J. D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger-2/) > [Its really hard to be roommates with people if your suitcases are much better than theirs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger-2/its-really-hard-to-be-roommates-with-people-if-your-suitcases-are/) [J. D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger-2/) > [The thing with kids is, if they want to grab for the gold ring, you have to let them do it, and not say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger-2/the-thing-with-kids-is-if-they-want-to-grab-for-the-gold-ring-you/) [J. D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger-2/) [Explore all 121 J. D. Salinger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger-2/) ## 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": "“Meant-to-be-picked-up books. 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