--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: With its reverent silence the Library was…" description: "\"“With its reverent silence the Library was as close to a religious experience as anything he had ever encountered. Its domed reading room was a thing o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cf/j-e-allen-64719_books_with-its-reverent-silence-the-library-wa_2525484.jpg" --- # With its reverent silence the Library was as close to a… ![“With its reverent silence the Library was as close to a religious experience as anything he had ever encountered. Its domed reading room was a thing of sheer beauty and wonder. It always inspired in him a childish desire to stand in the centre and spin round and round, making it appear as though…” quote by J.E Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cf/j-e-allen-64719_books_with-its-reverent-silence-the-library-wa_2525484.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cf/j-e-allen-64719_books_with-its-reverent-silence-the-library-wa_2525484.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cf/j-e-allen-64719_books_with-its-reverent-silence-the-library-wa_2525484.jpg) > ““With its reverent silence the Library was as close to a religious experience as anything he had ever encountered. Its domed reading room was a thing of sheer beauty and wonder. It always inspired in him a childish desire to stand in the centre and spin round and round, making it appear as though the books spiralled into infinity.”” [J.E Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-e-allen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The library’s profound silence and awe‑inspiring architecture evoke a near‑spiritual experience, stirring childlike wonder and a desire to be enveloped by knowledge. **In simple terms:** The library feels like a sacred, beautiful place that inspires awe. Key Takeaway Seek moments of awe in quiet, beautiful spaces. Themes awe beauty spirituality learning wonder inspiration Mood contemplative uplifting Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - visiting museums - reading retreats - meditation in nature - creative brainstorming Key Concepts architecture environmental psychology human curiosity Questions to Reflect On - How does environment affect your learning? - What spaces make you feel inspired? A Different Perspective Not everyone finds spiritual meaning in secular spaces. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Books Spiralled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books-spiralled-1293509/) [Domed Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/domed-reading-1293510/) [Library](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/library/) [Reading room](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading-room/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-experience/) [Silence Library](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silence-library-399809/) [Spiralled Infinity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiralled-infinity-1293511/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [The studious silence of the library ... Thought is the thought of thought. Tranquil brightness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/the-studious-silence-of-the-library-thought-is-the-thought-of-thought/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [The studious silence of the library ... Tranquil brightness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/the-studious-silence-of-the-library-tranquil-brightness/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [If I were founding a university I would begin with a smoking room; next a dormitory; and then a decent reading room and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-leacock/if-i-were-founding-a-university-i-would-begin-with-a-smoking-room/) [Stephen Leacock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-leacock/) > [The honor of being able to play Maura is transformative. I'm 70 years old. I should be in a reading room, reading Dickens or something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-tambor/the-honor-of-being-able-to-play-maura-is-transformative-i-m-70-years/) [Jeffrey Tambor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-tambor/) > [The skill set of pastor and comedian are incredibly similar. You want to affect people. You're good at reading rooms. You're persuasive, and you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-holmes/the-skill-set-of-pastor-and-comedian-are-incredibly-similar-you-want/) [Pete Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-holmes/) > [“No other library anywhere, for example, has a whole gallery of unwritten books - books that would have been written if the author hadn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/no-other-library-anywhere-for-example-has-a-whole-gallery-of/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [I think reading a room - reading the personalities, reading body language - is kind of a lost art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-hammer/i-think-reading-a-room-reading-the-personalities-reading-body/) [Bonnie Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-hammer/) > [The doors of churches, hotels, concert halls and reading rooms are alike closed against the Negro as a man, but every place is open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/the-doors-of-churches-hotels-concert-halls-and-reading-rooms-are/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) > [“Then we will do two things," Penumbra says, nodding. "First, I will tell you just a little of our history. Then, to understand, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/then-we-will-do-two-things-penumbra-says-nodding-first-i-will-tell/) [Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/) > [ It seems to me one cannot sit down in that place \[the Round Reading room of the British Museum\] without a heart full of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/it-seems-to-me-one-cannot-sit-down-in-that-place-the-round-reading/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [“So maybe the Reading Room is magic because books really are magic. I read once that books bend both space and time, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-barnhill/so-maybe-the-reading-room-is-magic-because-books-really-are-magic-i/) [Kelly Barnhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-barnhill/) > [“The reading rooms were large and quiet. Their windows were filmed in dust and desiccated insects, and seemed to age the light falling across…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/china-mi-ville/the-reading-rooms-were-large-and-quiet-their-windows-were-filmed-in/) [China Miéville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/china-mi-ville/) > [“He glanced around the reading room and closed his eyes, trying to keep hold of the past for a minute longer, a fattening and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/he-glanced-around-the-reading-room-and-closed-his-eyes-trying-to-keep/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [To slide into the domed reading room at ten each morning, specially in summer, off the hot street outside, was a sensation as delicious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-garner/to-slide-into-the-domed-reading-room-at-ten-each-morning-specially-in/) [Helen Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-garner/) > [You must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/you-must-find-time-for-reading-or-surrender-yourself-to-self-chosen/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) ## More by J.E Allen > [“Nice! There's no fun in nice. I'll be myself and you'll all love me for it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-e-allen/nice-there-s-no-fun-in-nice-i-ll-be-myself-and-you-ll-all-love-me-for/) [J.E Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-e-allen/) > [“Hannah loved tea, although she sometimes wondered whether this was because of how well it went with cake and biscuits.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-e-allen/hannah-loved-tea-although-she-sometimes-wondered-whether-this-was/) [J.E Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-e-allen/) > [“He could feel a connection between them that was more than just the physical sensation of touch. It was as though his nerves were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-e-allen/he-could-feel-a-connection-between-them-that-was-more-than-just-the/) [J.E Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-e-allen/) > [“Please let's change subject, as despite the alliteration, I don't think Politics and Puddings go together.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-e-allen/please-let-s-change-subject-as-despite-the-alliteration-i-don-t-think/) [J.E Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-e-allen/) [Explore all 5 J.E Allen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-e-allen/) ## More Books 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/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [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/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [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/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) [Christopher K. Krebs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-k-krebs/) > [“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/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [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/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) [Markus Herz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-herz/) > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“With its reverent silence the Library was as close to a religious experience as anything he had ever encountered. Its domed reading room was a thing of sheer beauty and wonder. 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