--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The inexperienced reader wants the…" description: "\"“The inexperienced reader wants the essentially familiar combined with superficial novelty. Each story must have a slightly new setting or twist or \"gi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d13/laurence-perrine-99741_books_the-inexperienced-reader-wants-the-essen_1744630.jpg" --- # The inexperienced reader wants the essentially familiar… ![“The inexperienced reader wants the essentially familiar combined with superficial novelty. Each story must have a slightly new setting or twist or "gimmick," though the fundamental features of the characters and situations remain the same. He evaluates a story not by its truth but by its twists…” quote by Laurence Perrine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d13/laurence-perrine-99741_books_the-inexperienced-reader-wants-the-essen_1744630.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d13/laurence-perrine-99741_books_the-inexperienced-reader-wants-the-essen_1744630.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d13/laurence-perrine-99741_books_the-inexperienced-reader-wants-the-essen_1744630.jpg) > ““The inexperienced reader wants the essentially familiar combined with superficial novelty. Each story must have a slightly new setting or twist or "gimmick," though the fundamental features of the characters and situations remain the same. He evaluates a story not by its truth but by its twists and turns and surprises, by its suspense or its love interest. He wants his stories to be mainly pleasant. Evil, danger, and misery may appear in them, but not in such a way that they need be taken really seriously or are felt to be oppressive or permanent. He wants reading that slips easily and smoothly through his mind, requiring little mental effort. Most of all, he wants something that helps sustain his fantasy life, providing ready-made daydreams in which he overcomes his limitations, thwarts his enemies, and wins success or fame or the girl.”” Laurence Perrine ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Inexperienced readers prefer familiar stories with light twists, seeking effortless escapism rather than deep, serious themes. **In simple terms:** Readers want easy, familiar stories with mild novelty. Key Takeaway Provide light, engaging narratives for casual readers. Themes entertainment escapism novelty comfort Mood analysis critical Type Books:1 Fantasy:1 Fantasy life:0 Twists and turns:1 Reader Wants:1 Inexperienced Reader:1 Evaluates Story:0 Sustain Fantasy:0 Key Concepts reading habits publishing trends genre expectations Questions to Reflect On - light - curious A Different Perspective Should literature challenge readers more?;How to balance familiarity and innovation? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Fantasy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantasy/) [Fantasy life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantasy-life/) [Twists and turns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twists-and-turns/) ## Related quotes > [Lansens is a willing storyteller… As a writer, she desires a particular kind of reader, one who wants above all to be transported--who might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-richler/lansens-is-a-willing-storyteller-as-a-writer-she-desires-a-particular/) Noah Richler > [“That brings me to the real reason for the title: Where does that which happens during reading a book take place? (...) Does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ende/that-brings-me-to-the-real-reason-for-the-title-where-does-that-which/) [Michael Ende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ende/) > [“Long books, when read, are usually overpraised, because the reader wants to convince others and himself that he has not wasted his time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-m-forster-2/long-books-when-read-are-usually-overpraised-because-the-reader-wants/) [E.M. Forster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-forster-2/) > [“The reader wants to be able to see the book as if they are watching a movie.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laquita-cameron/the-reader-wants-to-be-able-to-see-the-book-as-if-they-are-watching-a/) LaQuita Cameron > [What reader wants to be told what attitude to strike?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/what-reader-wants-to-be-told-what-attitude-to-strike/) [Ian Mcewan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [You have very short travel blogs, and I think there's a split among travel writers: the service-oriented writers will say, 'Well, the reader wants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cahill/you-have-very-short-travel-blogs-and-i-think-there-s-a-split-among/) [Tim Cahill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cahill/) > [The reader wants to see something happen between pages one and four hundred, and nothing happens if the characters don't change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-brooks/the-reader-wants-to-see-something-happen-between-pages-one-and-four/) [Terry Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-brooks/) > [The only pressure I feel is to write good books. And to not replicate the previous book. Whether you have a thousand readers or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-nesbo/the-only-pressure-i-feel-is-to-write-good-books-and-to-not-replicate/) [Jo Nesbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-nesbo/) > [That's why editors and publishers will never be obsolete: a reader wants someone with taste and authority to point them in the direction of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-jon-williams/that-s-why-editors-and-publishers-will-never-be-obsolete-a-reader/) [Walter Jon Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-jon-williams/) > [No reader wants to sit through the same scene four times in a row, unless they're radically different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-ng/no-reader-wants-to-sit-through-the-same-scene-four-times-in-a-row/) [Celeste Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celeste-ng/) > [“I had a much better fantasy life, than a real life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcintyre/i-had-a-much-better-fantasy-life-than-a-real-life/) [Michael McIntyre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcintyre/) > [I did my homework and didn't go out much, and had a very highly developed kitsch fantasy life where I dreamed of being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/i-did-my-homework-and-didn-t-go-out-much-and-had-a-very-highly/) [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) > [So let's not get frightened when the children read fantasy. It's the compost for a healthy mind. It stimulate s the inquisitive nodes, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/so-let-s-not-get-frightened-when-the-children-read-fantasy-it-s-the/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“At last she interrupted with a harsh rattle of laughter. "Oh, yes, I like this book! Crazy hopes of a glamorous, rich, colorful life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alasdair-gray/at-last-she-interrupted-with-a-harsh-rattle-of-laughter-oh-yes-i-like/) [Alasdair Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alasdair-gray/) > [I like to maintain a certain sense of fantasy in my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lopez/i-like-to-maintain-a-certain-sense-of-fantasy-in-my-life/) [Jennifer Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lopez/) ## More by Laurence Perrine > [“A final caution to students: in making judgments on literature, always be honest. Do not pretend to like what you really do not like.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-perrine/a-final-caution-to-students-in-making-judgments-on-literature-always/) Laurence Perrine Explore all 2 Laurence Perrine quotes ## 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": "“The inexperienced reader wants the essentially familiar combined with superficial novelty. Each story must have a slightly new setting or twist or \"gimmick,\" though the fundamental features of the characters and situations remain the same. He evaluates a story not by its truth but by its twists and turns and surprises, by its suspense or its love interest. He wants his stories to be mainly pleasant. 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