--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are three shelves with about forty…" description: "\"“There are three shelves with about forty books on each shelf. As I look through them, I am hoping for something that will take me away from here.”\" — ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/637/james-frey-1108_books_there-are-three-shelves-with-about-forty_2409182.png" --- # There are three shelves with about forty books on each… ![“There are three shelves with about forty books on each shelf. As I look through them, I am hoping for something that will take me away from here.” quote by James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/637/james-frey-1108_books_there-are-three-shelves-with-about-forty_2409182.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/637/james-frey-1108_books_there-are-three-shelves-with-about-forty_2409182.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/637/james-frey-1108_books_there-are-three-shelves-with-about-forty_2409182.png) > ““There are three shelves with about forty books on each shelf. As I look through them, I am hoping for something that will take me away from here.”” [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker seeks escape through reading, hoping a book will transport them beyond their current reality. **In simple terms:** Looking for a book to mentally escape. Key Takeaway Find a story that moves you. Themes escape reading imagination Mood contemplative hopeful Type literary reflective When to use this quote - loneliness - stress relief - mental health - creative inspiration Key Concepts literature psychology transcendence Questions to Reflect On - What book could change your perspective? - How does reading help you cope? A Different Perspective Reading may not solve underlying problems. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [Print books have an amazing superpower because they don't disappear when you're done with them. Books on the shelf remind you that they exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/print-books-have-an-amazing-superpower-because-they-don-t-disappear/) [Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/) > [“Don't buy books for your shelf, buy them for yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saji-ijiyemi/don-t-buy-books-for-your-shelf-buy-them-for-yourself/) [Saji Ijiyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saji-ijiyemi/) > [There are books on my shelf that I'm not into. They are things I don't know anything about yet. It's going to lead me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/there-are-books-on-my-shelf-that-i-m-not-into-they-are-things-i-don-t/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [Before my son was even born, he already had two shelves of books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-ng/before-my-son-was-even-born-he-already-had-two-shelves-of-books/) [Celeste Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celeste-ng/) > [Seeing one's books on the shelf tells you so much about the way somebody has, over the years, put together their private library, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/seeing-one-s-books-on-the-shelf-tells-you-so-much-about-the-way/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [I like shelves full of books in a library, but if all books become electronic, the task of big research libraries remains the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholson-baker/i-like-shelves-full-of-books-in-a-library-but-if-all-books-become/) [Nicholson Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholson-baker/) > [I buy books, I have shelves of books. I love to read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/i-buy-books-i-have-shelves-of-books-i-love-to-read/) [Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/) > [“I wanted shelves for my books, and a finer chair for this desk. Of course there should be another library. What was a house…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/i-wanted-shelves-for-my-books-and-a-finer-chair-for-this-desk-of/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) > [She's a rare vase, out of a cat's reach, on its shelf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-walcott/she-s-a-rare-vase-out-of-a-cat-s-reach-on-its-shelf/) [Derek Walcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-walcott/) > [Everything in God's store is on the bottom shelf...you have to get on your knees to get it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-collier/everything-in-god-s-store-is-on-the-bottom-shelf-you-have-to-get-on/) [Robert Collier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-collier/) > [Don't ask me to put up a shelf, but I love engineering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dickinson/don-t-ask-me-to-put-up-a-shelf-but-i-love-engineering/) [Bruce Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dickinson/) > [Let's put the jam on the lower shelf so the little people can reach it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-yarborough/let-s-put-the-jam-on-the-lower-shelf-so-the-little-people-can-reach-it/) Ralph Yarborough > [Man what's the point of living if I'm living for myself Lord empty out my life before I put you on the shelf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lecrae/man-what-s-the-point-of-living-if-i-m-living-for-myself-lord-empty/) [LeCrae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lecrae/) > [One could get a first-class education from a shelf of books five feet long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-william-eliot/one-could-get-a-first-class-education-from-a-shelf-of-books-five-feet/) [Charles William Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-william-eliot/) > [People are best on records and books because you can turn them off or put them back on the shelf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/people-are-best-on-records-and-books-because-you-can-turn-them-off-or/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) ## More by James Frey > [“It is a touching story, and it is written more to convince than to tell. I am not convinced.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/it-is-a-touching-story-and-it-is-written-more-to-convince-than-to/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [But love is different for every person. For some it's hate, for some it's joy, for some it's fear, for some it's jealousy, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/but-love-is-different-for-every-person-for-some-it-s-hate-for-some-it/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [“I close my eyes and I let my body shut itself down and I let my mind wander. It wanders to a familiar place.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/i-close-my-eyes-and-i-let-my-body-shut-itself-down-and-i-let-my-mind/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [He pulled out turned west and started driving towards the glow it was thousands of miles away, he started driving towards the glow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/he-pulled-out-turned-west-and-started-driving-towards-the-glow-it-was/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [“Addiction is a decision. An individual wants something, whatever that something is, and makes a desicion to get it. Once they have it, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/addiction-is-a-decision-an-individual-wants-something-whatever-that/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [“I start to cry. Tears begin running down my face and quiet sobs escape me. I don't know what I'm doing and I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/i-start-to-cry-tears-begin-running-down-my-face-and-quiet-sobs-escape/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [The promise of eternal life makes people forsake the life they're given.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/the-promise-of-eternal-life-makes-people-forsake-the-life-they-re/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [We know have the power of God in many ways: the atomic bomb, the ability to create life in a test tube, cloning, artificial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/we-know-have-the-power-of-god-in-many-ways-the-atomic-bomb-the/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [For the worst things of our lives, it is sometimes the best way, to never speak of them again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/for-the-worst-things-of-our-lives-it-is-sometimes-the-best-way-to/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [“Thirty-six. If you want to shrink something, you must first expand it. If you want to get rid of something, you must allow it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/thirty-six-if-you-want-to-shrink-something-you-must-first-expand-it/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [The book is about drug addiction and alcoholism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/the-book-is-about-drug-addiction-and-alcoholism/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [And even though people try to pretend that pain doesn't do anything to them, none of us can really handle it. Everything bad we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/and-even-though-people-try-to-pretend-that-pain-doesn-t-do-anything/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [You don't have to follow anybody's rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/you-don-t-have-to-follow-anybody-s-rules/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [I don't care what people come at me with. People have come at me with everything you could imagine. I could care less about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/i-don-t-care-what-people-come-at-me-with-people-have-come-at-me-with/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [“There is no Higher Power or any God who is responsible for what I do and for what I have done and for who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/there-is-no-higher-power-or-any-god-who-is-responsible-for-what-i-do/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) [Explore all 288 James Frey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) ## 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 > [“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 > [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": "“There are three shelves with about forty books on each shelf. 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