Bad-books Quote by Lynne Sharon Schwartz
““Among some tossed-out books of my daughter's which I rescued...was one too awful to live. I returned it to the trash, resisting the urge to say a few parting words. All day long the thought of its mingling with chicken bones and olive pits nagged at me. Half a dozen times I removed it and replaced it, like an executioner with scruples about capital punishment. Finally I put it on a high shelf where I wouldn't have to see it. Life imprisonment.””
About This Quote
Source Short story: “The Book of the Dead” by Lynne Sharon Schwartz, 1990
The narrator struggles with guilt over discarding a terrible book, obsessively returning it to the trash, and ultimately isolates it like a condemned prisoner.
In simple terms: Guilt over a bad book leads to obsessive behavior and eventual concealment.
Key Takeaway
Acknowledge discomfort and let go without fixation.
Themes
guilt
obsession
letting go
literature
psychology
Mood
anxious
reflective
melancholic
Type
literary
personal narrative
When to use this quote
- library organization
- personal decluttering
- mental health coping
- creative writing
- book collecting
Key Concepts
cognitive dissonance
avoidance
compulsion
Questions to Reflect On
- What does the book symbolize for you?
- How can you release guilt without obsessive rituals?
A Different Perspective
The metaphor may over‑dramatize a simple act of discarding, ignoring practical reasons for keeping or discarding items.
![“I intend to put up with nothing that I can put down." [ Letter to J. Beauchamp Jones , August 8, 1839]” quote by Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/59b/edgar-allan-poe-315_bad-books_i-intend-to-put-up-with-nothing-that-i-c_3159658.jpg)
