--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's more of yourself in a book than a…" description: "\"There's more of yourself in a book than a play. that's why we know all about Dickens and not much about Shakespeare. Ben Jonson murdered people; Marlow..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b1/john-mortimer-7362_book_there-s-more-of-yourself-in-a-book-than_1287973.jpg" --- # There's more of yourself in a book than a play. that's why… ![“There's more of yourself in a book than a play. that's why we know all about Dickens and not much about Shakespeare. Ben Jonson murdered people; Marlowe was a spy; Shakespeare just sat in the corner and took notes.” quote by John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b1/john-mortimer-7362_book_there-s-more-of-yourself-in-a-book-than_1287973.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b1/john-mortimer-7362_book_there-s-more-of-yourself-in-a-book-than_1287973.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b1/john-mortimer-7362_book_there-s-more-of-yourself-in-a-book-than_1287973.jpg) > “There's more of yourself in a book than a play. that's why we know all about Dickens and not much about Shakespeare. Ben Jonson murdered people; Marlowe was a spy; Shakespeare just sat in the corner and took notes.” [John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/) ## 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 suggests that books reveal more of an author's inner self than plays, implying deeper insight into personal thoughts through written narrative. **In simple terms:** Books expose personal depth more than plays. Key Takeaway Read novels to understand authors better. Themes literature author insight media comparison Mood thoughtful analytical Type literary observational When to use this quote - reading novels - teaching literature - author studies - media criticism Key Concepts psychology literary analysis Questions to Reflect On - Does medium affect the depth of personal expression? - How do audiences perceive authors through different formats? A Different Perspective Plays also convey profound ideas through performance, not just books. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Book Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-play-369889/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Corners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corners/) [Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dickens/) [Dickens Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dickens-shakespeare-3250745/) [Know Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-dickens-4186008/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Marlowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marlowe/) [Notes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/notes/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Sat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sat/) [Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shakespeare/) [Shakespeare Ben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shakespeare-ben-4186009/) [Spy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spy/) ## Related quotes > [I went to London because, for me, it was the home of literature. I went there because of Dickens and Shakespeare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-okri/i-went-to-london-because-for-me-it-was-the-home-of-literature-i-went/) [Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/) > [Where would David Copperfield be if Dickens had gone to writing classes? Probably about seventy minor characters short, is where. (Did you know that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/where-would-david-copperfield-be-if-dickens-had-gone-to-writing/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [There's also something of an illusion in that, you can perhaps record a TV thing one month and complete a book the next and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-asher/there-s-also-something-of-an-illusion-in-that-you-can-perhaps-record/) [Jane Asher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-asher/) > [“There are some works so luminous that they fill us with shame for the meager life to which we are resigned, that they implore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herv-le-tellier/there-are-some-works-so-luminous-that-they-fill-us-with-shame-for-the/) [Hervé Le Tellier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herv-le-tellier/) > [There's no book or play or series or anything that speaks to everyone, because then it wouldn't speak to anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-blume/there-s-no-book-or-play-or-series-or-anything-that-speaks-to-everyone/) [Judy Blume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-blume/) > [I think of a book and a play, or a book and a movie, as two separate things - I don't think of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-sachar/i-think-of-a-book-and-a-play-or-a-book-and-a-movie-as-two-separate/) [Louis Sachar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-sachar/) > [On an average day, I have two things to read in my purse: a book and a play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-saylor/on-an-average-day-i-have-two-things-to-read-in-my-purse-a-book-and-a/) [Morgan Saylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-saylor/) > [“Okay Marlowe,' I said to myself. 'You're a tough guy. You've been sapped twice, choked, beaten silly with a gun, shot in the arm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-marlow/okay-marlowe-i-said-to-myself-you-re-a-tough-guy-you-ve-been-sapped/) [Philip Marlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-marlow/) > [“Who ever loved that loved not at first sight?" wrote Marlowe, the man Shakespeare feared for many years was the better writer, the man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-phillips/who-ever-loved-that-loved-not-at-first-sight-wrote-marlowe-the-man/) [Arthur Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-phillips/) > [Christopher Marlowe or Francis Bacon The author of Lear remains unshaken Willie Herbert or Mary Fitton What does it matter? The Sonnets were written.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-coward/christopher-marlowe-or-francis-bacon-the-author-of-lear-remains/) [Noel Coward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-coward/) > [Shakespeare scholars just sigh and consign the book to the great pantheon of revelations .. I am accustomed to fanatics who get a funny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/shakespeare-scholars-just-sigh-and-consign-the-book-to-the-great/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Even on Central Avenue, not the quietest dressed street in the world, he looked about as inconspicuous as a tarantula on a slice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/even-on-central-avenue-not-the-quietest-dressed-street-in-the-world/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [“I can just about promise you Philip Marlowe was never as dainty as I.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-grafton/i-can-just-about-promise-you-philip-marlowe-was-never-as-dainty-as-i/) [Sue Grafton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-grafton/) > [“(Marlowe's) Faustus stubbornly reverts to his atheistic beliefs and continues his elementary pagan re-education ~ the inferno to him is a 'place' invented by men.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-a-bucchianeri/marlowe-s-faustus-stubbornly-reverts-to-his-atheistic-beliefs-and/) [E.A. Bucchianeri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-a-bucchianeri/) > [“O, thou art fairer than the evening air Clad in the beauty of a thousand stars; Brighter art thou than flaming Jupiter When he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-marlowe/o-thou-art-fairer-than-the-evening-air-clad-in-the-beauty-of-a/) [Christopher Marlowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-marlowe/) ## More by John Mortimer > [“Take sex, for instance.' 'What do you want me to do with it?' 'Try to be serious for a moment. Take the sex life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/take-sex-for-instance-what-do-you-want-me-to-do-with-it-try-to-be/) [John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/) > [I knew nothing about farce until I read Puce a l'Oreille, and had no idea what a deadly serious business it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/i-knew-nothing-about-farce-until-i-read-puce-a-l-oreille-and-had-no/) [John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/) > [Do we want blanks, asterisks and exclamation marks which people can fill in with their own imaginations, or are we prepared and strong enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/do-we-want-blanks-asterisks-and-exclamation-marks-which-people-can/) [John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/) > [Voting Liberal is a non-thing. Historically, it might be a good idea to have a Conservative government, because change is a good thing. 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It rushes up, pushes you over and runs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/dying-is-a-matter-of-slapstick-and-pratfalls-the-ageing-process-is/) [John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/) > [No brilliance is required in law, just common sense and relatively clean fingernails.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/no-brilliance-is-required-in-law-just-common-sense-and-relatively/) [John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/) > [The people look forbidding, solemn, marked by that impossible ideal, Communism, which, like Christianity, seemed to demand too much of humanity and, falling into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/the-people-look-forbidding-solemn-marked-by-that-impossible-ideal/) [John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/) > [There is always time for failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/there-is-always-time-for-failure/) [John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/) > [Irritable Judges suffer from a bad case of premature adjudication.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/irritable-judges-suffer-from-a-bad-case-of-premature-adjudication/) [John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/) > [I try and treat my children from the age of ten months as if they were totally grown up, which I think is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/i-try-and-treat-my-children-from-the-age-of-ten-months-as-if-they/) [John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/) > [Check-ups are, in my experience, a grave mistake; all they do is allow the quack of your choice to tell you that you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/check-ups-are-in-my-experience-a-grave-mistake-all-they-do-is-allow/) [John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/) > [I don't believe in children's books. I think after you've read Kidnapped, Treasure Island, and Huckleberry Finn, you're ready for anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/i-don-t-believe-in-children-s-books-i-think-after-you-ve-read/) [John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/) > [“The main aim of education should be to send children out into the world with a reasonably sized anthology in their heads so that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/the-main-aim-of-education-should-be-to-send-children-out-into-the/) [John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/) > [On the three pigs he and his wife own: "We acquired the pigs last year. My wife was born on a pig farm and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/on-the-three-pigs-he-and-his-wife-own-we-acquired-the-pigs-last-year/) [John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/) [Explore all 92 John Mortimer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/) ## 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. 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