Book Quote by Marilynne Robinson
““But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by far, than I learned anything useful from, except, of course, that some very tedious gentlemen have written books.””
About This Quote
Source Essay or interview by Marilynne Robinson, exact source unknown
The speaker jokes that her reputation for wisdom comes from buying too many books and reading many that taught her little, apart from observing that tedious people write books.
In simple terms: Owning many books makes people think you're wise.
Key Takeaway
Wisdom is built by reading deeply, not just owning books.
Themes
books
reading
wisdom
humor
pretension
Mood
witty
self-deprecating
ironic
Type
humorous
essayistic
confession
When to use this quote
- book collecting
- academic posturing
- self-deprecating humor
- discussing reading habits
Key Concepts
intellectual vanity
appearance of learning
bibliophilia
Questions to Reflect On
- Do I buy books to learn or to look smart?
- What truly useful knowledge have I gained?
A Different Perspective
Real wisdom still demands careful, critical reading.
![“I had written three books [Games of Throne], at that point, and each one of them was better than the other. At a certain point, as the books were doing well, I started getting interest from Hollywood, from various producers and studios who were initially interested in doing a feature film. I met…” quote by George R. R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c30/george-r-r-martin-2-926_being-done_i-had-written-three-books-games-of-thron_253710.jpg)
