--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes, you read a book and it fills…" description: "\"“Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4d/john-green-12_book_sometimes-you-read-a-book-and-it-fills-y_693070.jpg" --- # Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this… ![“Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book. And then there are books like An Imperial Affliction, which you can't tell people about…” quote by John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4d/john-green-12_book_sometimes-you-read-a-book-and-it-fills-y_693070.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4d/john-green-12_book_sometimes-you-read-a-book-and-it-fills-y_693070.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4d/john-green-12_book_sometimes-you-read-a-book-and-it-fills-y_693070.jpg) > ““Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book. And then there are books like An Imperial Affliction, which you can't tell people about, books so special and rare and yours that advertising your affection feels like betrayal”” [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A book can ignite intense passion, making readers feel the world is broken until everyone reads it, yet some books are too personal to share without feeling disloyal. **In simple terms:** Reading can create deep, exclusive connections. Key Takeaway Respect personal boundaries with cherished books. Themes literature passion exclusivity identity Mood reflective intimate conflicted Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - book clubs - personal recommendations - online forums - gift giving Key Concepts evangelical zeal betrayal personal ownership Questions to Reflect On - What makes a book feel uniquely yours? - When is it okay to recommend a personal favorite? A Different Perspective Sharing may dilute personal significance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Evangelical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evangelical/) [John-green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/john-green/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [The-fault-in-our-stars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/the-fault-in-our-stars/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/sometimes-you-read-a-book-and-it-fills-you-with-this-weird-2/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“there are books which you can't tell people about, books so special and rare and yours that advertising your affection feels like a betrayal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/there-are-books-which-you-can-t-tell-people-about-books-so-special/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“I imagined the Augustus Waters analysis of that comment: If I am playing basketball in heaven, does that imply a physical location of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-imagined-the-augustus-waters-analysis-of-that-comment-if-i-am/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Why are you looking at me like that?" Augustus half smiled. "Because you're beautiful. I enjoy looking at beautiful people, and I decided a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/why-are-you-looking-at-me-like-that-augustus-half-smiled-because-you/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Augustus Waters was sitting on the front step as we pulled into the driveway. He was holding a bouquet of bright orange tulips just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/augustus-waters-was-sitting-on-the-front-step-as-we-pulled-into-the/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“I enjoy looking at beautiful people, and I decided a while ago not to deny myself the simpler pleasures of existence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-enjoy-looking-at-beautiful-people-and-i-decided-a-while-ago-not-to/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“I'm on a rollercoaster that only goes up”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-m-on-a-rollercoaster-that-only-goes-up/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“what we want is to be noticed by the universe, to have the universe give a shit what happens to us- not the collective…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/what-we-want-is-to-be-noticed-by-the-universe-to-have-the-universe/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“I'll find a way to hang around and annoy you for a long time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-ll-find-a-way-to-hang-around-and-annoy-you-for-a-long-time/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“and even though I was in bed and he was in his basement, it really felt like we were back in that uncreated third…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/and-even-though-i-was-in-bed-and-he-was-in-his-basement-it-really/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“It’s hard as hell to hold on to your dignity when the risen sun is too bright in your losing eyes”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/it-s-hard-as-hell-to-hold-on-to-your-dignity-when-the-risen-sun-is/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Augustus Waters was a self-aggrandizing bastard. But we forgive him. We forgive him not because he had a heart as figuratively good as his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/augustus-waters-was-a-self-aggrandizing-bastard-but-we-forgive-him-we-2/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Finally, I decided that the proper strategy was to stare back. Boys do not have a monopoly on the Staring Business, after all. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/finally-i-decided-that-the-proper-strategy-was-to-stare-back-boys-do/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Are you crying, Hazel Grace?" "Kind of?" "Why?" he asked. "'Cause I'm just-I want to go to Amsterdam, and I want him to tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/are-you-crying-hazel-grace-kind-of-why-he-asked-cause-i-m-just-i-want/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Who am I to say that these things might not be forever? Who is Peter Van Houten to assert as fact the conjecture that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/who-am-i-to-say-that-these-things-might-not-be-forever-who-is-peter/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## More by John Green > [Issac:"I dislike living in a world without Augustus Waters." Computer: "I don't understand-" Issac: "Me neither. Pause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/issac-i-dislike-living-in-a-world-without-augustus-waters-computer-i/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“I just want to stay away from people and read books and think”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-just-want-to-stay-away-from-people-and-read-books-and-think/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [She smiled with all the delight of a kid on Christmas morning and said, "Y'all smoke to enjoy it. I smoke to die." -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/she-smiled-with-all-the-delight-of-a-kid-on-christmas-morning-and/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [A Margo for each of us--and each more mirror than window.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/a-margo-for-each-of-us-and-each-more-mirror-than-window/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“No one ever says good-bye unless they want to see you again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/no-one-ever-says-good-bye-unless-they-want-to-see-you-again/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Neither novels or their readers benefit from any attempts to divine whether any facts hide inside a story. Such efforts attack the very idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/neither-novels-or-their-readers-benefit-from-any-attempts-to-divine/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Traffic's not too bad on Sheridan, and I'm cornering the car like it's the Indy 500, and we're listening to my favorite NMH song,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/traffic-s-not-too-bad-on-sheridan-and-i-m-cornering-the-car-like-it-s/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Praise God for good nurses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/praise-god-for-good-nurses/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [So I was ugly. I was never fat, really, and I never wore headgear or had zits or anything. But I was ugly. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/so-i-was-ugly-i-was-never-fat-really-and-i-never-wore-headgear-or-had/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Nothing has ever looked like that ever in all of human history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/nothing-has-ever-looked-like-that-ever-in-all-of-human-history/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“said to him quietly, as if I couldn’t hear or something. Dad was about to respond but I interrupted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/said-to-him-quietly-as-if-i-couldn-t-hear-or-something-dad-was-about/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I believe humans have souls, and I believe in the conservation of souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-believe-humans-have-souls-and-i-believe-in-the-conservation-of-souls/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“He was hot. A nonhotboy stares at you relentlessly and it is, at best, awkward and, at worst, a form of assault. But a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/he-was-hot-a-nonhotboy-stares-at-you-relentlessly-and-it-is-at-best/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I think if you keep the box closed long enough you do kill the cat, actually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-think-if-you-keep-the-box-closed-long-enough-you-do-kill-the-cat/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia. (...) You spend your whole life stuck in the labyrinth, thinking about how you'll escape it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/imagining-the-future-is-a-kind-of-nostalgia-you-spend-your-whole-life/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) [Explore all 3,614 John Green quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## 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": "“Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book. And then there are books like An Imperial Affliction, which you can't tell people about, books so special and rare and yours that advertising your affection feels like betrayal”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Green" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/sometimes-you-read-a-book-and-it-fills-you-with-this-weird/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/sometimes-you-read-a-book-and-it-fills-you-with-this-weird/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4d/john-green-12_book_sometimes-you-read-a-book-and-it-fills-y_693070.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4d/john-green-12_book_sometimes-you-read-a-book-and-it-fills-y_693070.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4d/john-green-12_book_sometimes-you-read-a-book-and-it-fills-y_693070.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that…” — John Green", "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": "John Green", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Sometimes, you read a book and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/sometimes-you-read-a-book-and-it-fills-you-with-this-weird/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/sometimes-you-read-a-book-and-it-fills-you-with-this-weird/#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 } } ] } ```