--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A book cannot easily be too bad for the…" description: "\"A book cannot easily be too bad for the general public, but may easily be too good.\" — Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b14/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach-258_book_a-book-cannot-easily-be-too-bad-for-the_1416108.png" --- # A book cannot easily be too bad for the general public… ![“A book cannot easily be too bad for the general public, but may easily be too good.” quote by Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b14/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach-258_book_a-book-cannot-easily-be-too-bad-for-the_1416108.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b14/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach-258_book_a-book-cannot-easily-be-too-bad-for-the_1416108.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b14/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach-258_book_a-book-cannot-easily-be-too-bad-for-the_1416108.png) > “A book cannot easily be too bad for the general public, but may easily be too good.” [Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A work can be too good for mass audiences, yet rarely too bad, highlighting taste gaps. **In simple terms:** Books can be too good for the masses. Key Takeaway Balance depth with accessibility. Themes taste public literature Mood critical reflective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - publishing - education - marketing - book clubs Key Concepts cultural criticism elitism Questions to Reflect On - Should authors aim for broad appeal? - What defines “too good” for a public? A Different Perspective Highbrow works may alienate readers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [General public](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/general-public/) [Good book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-book/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [If you read a label and just look up the ingredients, you'll be able to figure out really easily what's good for you and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-griffin/if-you-read-a-label-and-just-look-up-the-ingredients-you-ll-be-able/) [Blake Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-griffin/) > [Wikileaks didn't help confidence with American administrations because of conversations made public so easily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/wikileaks-didn-t-help-confidence-with-american-administrations/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You know the public is more easily swayed by persons than by principles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-field/you-know-the-public-is-more-easily-swayed-by-persons-than-by/) [Rachel Field](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-field/) > [“The police do a great job of shafting the general public.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-police-do-a-great-job-of-shafting-the-general-public/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“The police have turned into a health and safety issue for the general public.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-police-have-turned-into-a-health-and-safety-issue-for-the-general/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [Barbra Streisand developed overwhelming performance anxiety at the height of her career; for 27 years she refused to perform for the general public, appearing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/barbra-streisand-developed-overwhelming-performance-anxiety-at-the/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [Believing that our greatest need is for the general public to be able to get better information, to have an opportunity to learn better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-lowry/believing-that-our-greatest-need-is-for-the-general-public-to-be-able/) [Mike Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-lowry/) > [The general public may not have an understanding about me and what I do, how I feel about my children, how I feel about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-browne/the-general-public-may-not-have-an-understanding-about-me-and-what-i/) [Travis Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-browne/) > [ I thought it \[Star Wars\] was too wacky for the general public. 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Cassidy > [There cannot be any impediment to science that will ultimately be good to the general public.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-cannot-be-any-impediment-to-science-that-will-ultimately-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The general public have a warped view of the speed at which an investigation proceeds. They like to imagine tense conversations going on behind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-aaronovitch/the-general-public-have-a-warped-view-of-the-speed-at-which-an/) [Ben Aaronovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-aaronovitch/) > [Architects mostly work for privileged people, people who have money and power, Power and money are invisible, so people hire us to visualize their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shigeru-ban/architects-mostly-work-for-privileged-people-people-who-have-money/) [Shigeru Ban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shigeru-ban/) > [A free society depends upon a high degree of mutual trust. 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Beneath its breath souls develop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/pain-is-the-great-teacher-of-mankind-beneath-its-breath-souls-develop/) [Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/) > [Where would the power of women be, were it not for the vanity of men?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/where-would-the-power-of-women-be-were-it-not-for-the-vanity-of-men/) [Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/) > [“Much less evil would be done on earth if evil could not be done in the name of good. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/much-less-evil-would-be-done-on-earth-if-evil-could-not-be-done-in/) [Marie Von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/) > [Those whom we support hold us up in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/those-whom-we-support-hold-us-up-in-life/) [Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/) > [Pity is love in undress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/pity-is-love-in-undress/) [Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/) > [Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/even-a-stopped-clock-is-right-twice-a-day/) [Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/) > [Morals refine manners, as manners refine morals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/morals-refine-manners-as-manners-refine-morals/) [Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/) > [Nothing makes us more cowardly and unconscionable than the desire to be loved by everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/nothing-makes-us-more-cowardly-and-unconscionable-than-the-desire-to/) [Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/) [Explore all 158 Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/) ## 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! 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