--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And when you love a book, commit one…" description: "\"And when you love a book, commit one glorious sentence of it-perhaps your favorite sentence-to memory. That way you won't forget the language of the st..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff5/john-irving-337_book_and-when-you-love-a-book-commit-one-glor_1287189.png" --- # And when you love a book, commit one glorious sentence of… ![“And when you love a book, commit one glorious sentence of it-perhaps your favorite sentence-to memory. That way you won't forget the language of the story that moved you to tears.” quote by John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff5/john-irving-337_book_and-when-you-love-a-book-commit-one-glor_1287189.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff5/john-irving-337_book_and-when-you-love-a-book-commit-one-glor_1287189.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff5/john-irving-337_book_and-when-you-love-a-book-commit-one-glor_1287189.png) > “And when you love a book, commit one glorious sentence of it-perhaps your favorite sentence-to memory. That way you won't forget the language of the story that moved you to tears.” [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Memorizing a favorite line preserves the emotional impact of a book. **In simple terms:** Remember a key sentence to keep its feeling alive. Key Takeaway Recall and cherish meaningful passages. Themes literature memory emotion Mood nostalgic inspired Type reflective inspirational When to use this quote - reading clubs - personal journaling - teaching literature Key Concepts psychology of memory literary appreciation Questions to Reflect On - Which sentence moves you most? - How does it shape your view of the story? A Different Perspective Focusing on one line may miss broader context. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Book Commit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-commit-4179841/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Commit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commit/) [Favorite Sentence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/favorite-sentence-4179840/) [Forget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forget/) [Glorious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glorious/) [Glorious Sentence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glorious-sentence-4179839/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Memories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memories/) [Memory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memory/) [Moved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moved/) [Sentence Favorite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sentence-favorite-4179842/) [Sentence Memory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sentence-memory-4179838/) [Sentences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sentences/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Tears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tears/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Your favorite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/your-favorite/) ## Related quotes > [In advertisements for your favorite products, are women denigrated or objectified in some way? All of that is important. I would rewrite my kids'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geena-davis/in-advertisements-for-your-favorite-products-are-women-denigrated-or/) [Geena Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geena-davis/) > [I don't think that children, if left to themselves, feel that there is an author behind a book, a somebody who wrote it. Grown-ups…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-l-travers/i-don-t-think-that-children-if-left-to-themselves-feel-that-there-is/) [P. L. Travers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-l-travers/) > [Perhaps it would have been easier if I said that not being able to find something is like suddenly not remembering the words to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/perhaps-it-would-have-been-easier-if-i-said-that-not-being-able-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ The thing about Stephen Schwartz is that, while it may be difficult to learn - it's a little bit like\[Stephen\] Sondheim; Sondheim is quite… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-ellis/the-thing-about-stephen-schwartz-is-that-while-it-may-be-difficult-to/) [Kerry Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-ellis/) > [Squeeze your eyes closed, as tight as you can, and think of all your favorite autumns, crisp and perfect, all bound up together like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/squeeze-your-eyes-closed-as-tight-as-you-can-and-think-of-all-your/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, I don’t do drugs. I kick people in the face for a living. So, if that’s something you’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cm-punk/i-don-t-drink-i-don-t-smoke-i-don-t-do-drugs-i-kick-people-in-the/) [CM Punk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cm-punk/) > [ When children ask me what's my favorite \[role\], I say to them, "Imagine having ten beautiful new puppies in a basket and you had… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-andrews/when-children-ask-me-what-s-my-favorite-role-i-say-to-them-imagine/) [Julie Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-andrews/) > [ \[My favorite word is\] and. It is so hopeful. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/my-favorite-word-is-and-it-is-so-hopeful/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [To remove product buildup from your hair, mix a tablespoon of vinegar in your hand with your favorite shampoo and rub through your hair.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-gibson/to-remove-product-buildup-from-your-hair-mix-a-tablespoon-of-vinegar/) [Ted Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-gibson/) > [Movies are as old as psychoanalysis. So if I were to put you or anyone else on a couch and say, 'Tell me your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sarris/movies-are-as-old-as-psychoanalysis-so-if-i-were-to-put-you-or-anyone/) [Andrew Sarris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sarris/) > [When working out, play your favorite music loudly for an extra boost of energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-cheeke/when-working-out-play-your-favorite-music-loudly-for-an-extra-boost/) [Robert Cheeke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-cheeke/) > [ I'm often asked, "What is your favorite moment during the 30 years you hosted \[The Tonight Show\]?" I really don't have just one. The… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-carson/i-m-often-asked-what-is-your-favorite-moment-during-the-30-years-you/) [Johnny Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-carson/) > [Your favorite kind of cake can't be birthday cake, that's like saying your favorite kind of cereal is breakfast cereal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aziz-ansari/your-favorite-kind-of-cake-can-t-be-birthday-cake-that-s-like-saying/) [Aziz Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aziz-ansari/) > [I don't know if there's a strategy really so much as, like I learned doing standup and had to learn fast, you always just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mulaney/i-don-t-know-if-there-s-a-strategy-really-so-much-as-like-i-learned/) [John Mulaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mulaney/) > [To entertain at home is both a relief and a rediscovery - of rooms and settings, of your favorite things, and particularly of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stewart/to-entertain-at-home-is-both-a-relief-and-a-rediscovery-of-rooms-and/) [Martha Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stewart/) ## More by John Irving > [Your memory is a monster; you forget - it doesn't. It simply files things away. It keeps things for you, or hides things from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/your-memory-is-a-monster-you-forget-it-doesn-t-it-simply-files-things/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [Our memory is a monster; you forget it - it does not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/our-memory-is-a-monster-you-forget-it-it-does-not/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [… and so he tried to accept the ache in his heart as what Dr. Larch would call the common symptoms of normal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/and-so-he-tried-to-accept-the-ache-in-his-heart-as-what-dr-larch/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [Watch out for people who call themselves religious; make sure you know what they mean––make sure they know what they mean!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/watch-out-for-people-who-call-themselves-religious-make-sure-you-know/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [The desire to never leave your side, the desire to never see you again. The desire to see your face asleep on the pillow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/the-desire-to-never-leave-your-side-the-desire-to-never-see-you-again/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I had been a student in Vienna, and one of the neat little things I had found out was about that zoo. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-had-been-a-student-in-vienna-and-one-of-the-neat-little-things-i/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“God, I think I just hit a high E-flat - and I really held it!" Esmeralda said, after one of her more prolonged orgasms,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/god-i-think-i-just-hit-a-high-e-flat-and-i-really-held-it-esmeralda/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Nostalgia!" Miss Frost cried. "You´re nostalgic!" She repeated. "Just how old are you, William?" She asked. "Seventeen, " I told her. "Seventeen!" Miss Frost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/nostalgia-miss-frost-cried-you-re-nostalgic-she-repeated-just-how-old/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [ “JUST BECAUSE A BUNCH OF ATHEISTS ARE BETTER WRITERS THAN THE GUYS WHO WROTE THE BIBLE DOESN'T NECESSARILY MAKE THEM RIGHT!" \[Owen Meany\] said… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/just-because-a-bunch-of-atheists-are-better-writers-than-the-guys-who/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [It is much easier to be flexible about where a story begins than it ever was for me to change my mind about where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/it-is-much-easier-to-be-flexible-about-where-a-story-begins-than-it/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Only the chicken-lover will understand me. He will give me a kindly look, maybe mildly desirous. His eyes will tell me: You might look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/only-the-chicken-lover-will-understand-me-he-will-give-me-a-kindly/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [You're nice,' Cushie told him, squeezing his hand. 'And you're my oldest friend.' But they both must have known that you can know someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/you-re-nice-cushie-told-him-squeezing-his-hand-and-you-re-my-oldest/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Because of A Prayer for Owen Meany, many of my readers assume I am “religious.” I go to church only occasionally—like a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/because-of-a-prayer-for-owen-meany-many-of-my-readers-assume-i-am/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Did anyone who was in love and was unsatisfied with how he was loved in return ever feel saved?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/did-anyone-who-was-in-love-and-was-unsatisfied-with-how-he-was-loved/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“I TRUST THAT GOD WILL HELP ME, BECAUSE WHAT I’M SUPPOSED TO DO LOOKS VERY HARD.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-trust-that-god-will-help-me-because-what-i-m-supposed-to-do-looks/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) [Explore all 641 John Irving quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) ## 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": "And when you love a book, commit one glorious sentence of it-perhaps your favorite sentence-to memory. That way you won't forget the language of the story that moved you to tears.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Irving" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/and-when-you-love-a-book-commit-one-glorious-sentence-of-it-perhaps/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/and-when-you-love-a-book-commit-one-glorious-sentence-of-it-perhaps/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff5/john-irving-337_book_and-when-you-love-a-book-commit-one-glor_1287189.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff5/john-irving-337_book_and-when-you-love-a-book-commit-one-glor_1287189.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff5/john-irving-337_book_and-when-you-love-a-book-commit-one-glor_1287189.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“And when you love a book, commit one glorious sentence of it-perhaps your favorite sentence-to memory. That…” — John Irving", "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 Irving", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "And when you love a book,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/and-when-you-love-a-book-commit-one-glorious-sentence-of-it-perhaps/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/and-when-you-love-a-book-commit-one-glorious-sentence-of-it-perhaps/#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 } } ] } ```