--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The composition of vast books is a…" description: "\"“The composition of vast books is a laborious and impoverishing extravagance. To go on for five hundred pages developing an idea whose perfect oral exp..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee9/jorge-luis-borges-275_book_the-composition-of-vast-books-is-a-labor_1320581.jpg" --- # The composition of vast books is a laborious and… ![“The composition of vast books is a laborious and impoverishing extravagance. To go on for five hundred pages developing an idea whose perfect oral exposition is possible in a few minutes! A better course of procedure is to pretend that these books already exist, and then to offer a resume, a…” quote by Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee9/jorge-luis-borges-275_book_the-composition-of-vast-books-is-a-labor_1320581.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee9/jorge-luis-borges-275_book_the-composition-of-vast-books-is-a-labor_1320581.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee9/jorge-luis-borges-275_book_the-composition-of-vast-books-is-a-labor_1320581.jpg) > ““The composition of vast books is a laborious and impoverishing extravagance. To go on for five hundred pages developing an idea whose perfect oral exposition is possible in a few minutes! A better course of procedure is to pretend that these books already exist, and then to offer a resume, a commentary.”” [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Borges criticizes overly long books that elaborate ideas better spoken, suggesting a concise summary or commentary instead. **In simple terms:** Long books can be wasteful; summarize instead. Key Takeaway Prefer concise summaries over exhaustive texts. Themes literature efficiency communication Mood reflective critical Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - academic writing - publishing - lecture preparation - editing - content creation Key Concepts brevity oral tradition excess Questions to Reflect On - How can you retain depth while shortening? - When is brevity harmful? 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