Books Quote by Michael Dirda
“Most scholarly books we read for the information or insight they contain. But some we return to simply for the pleasure of the author's company.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Book Review, The New York Review of Books, 2015
We read books for knowledge, yet we revisit some simply to enjoy the author's voice.
In simple terms: Books can be cherished for their ideas and the author's presence.
Key Takeaway
Revisit works that feel like a conversation.
Themes
literature
pleasure
authorial voice
Mood
reflective
warm
intimate
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- reading for insight
- reading for comfort
- literary clubs
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
nostalgia
intimacy
companionship
Questions to Reflect On
- Which author’s style feels most like a friend?
- Do you seek knowledge or companionship in reading?
A Different Perspective
Not all books provide both insight and pleasure equally.
![“Nearly all the writing of our time is likely to disappear in a hundred years. Certainly most readers - and nearly all critics - feel that [Kurt] Vonnegut started to repeat himself, to grow increasingly self-indulgent and meandering, and to sometimes just blather in his later work. But his books up…” quote by Michael Dirda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ed7/michael-dirda-3414_1960s_nearly-all-the-writing-of-our-time-is-li_13506.jpg)
