--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'd always read omnivorously and often…" description: "\"I'd always read omnivorously and often thought much literary fiction is read by young men and women in their 20s as substitutes for experience.\" — Neil..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/604/neil-cross-23838_always_i-d-always-read-omnivorously-and-often-t_245678.png" --- # I'd always read omnivorously and often thought much… ![“I'd always read omnivorously and often thought much literary fiction is read by young men and women in their 20s as substitutes for experience.” quote by Neil Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/604/neil-cross-23838_always_i-d-always-read-omnivorously-and-often-t_245678.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/604/neil-cross-23838_always_i-d-always-read-omnivorously-and-often-t_245678.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/604/neil-cross-23838_always_i-d-always-read-omnivorously-and-often-t_245678.png) > “I'd always read omnivorously and often thought much literary fiction is read by young men and women in their 20s as substitutes for experience.” [Neil Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-cross/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Literary fiction often serves as a proxy for life experience, especially for young adults seeking insight. **In simple terms:** Books replace real life for young adults Key Takeaway Read fiction to broaden perspective. Themes literature experience young adults Mood analytical curious Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - education - career counseling - personal development - creative writing Key Concepts cultural learning identity formation Questions to Reflect On - Do you rely on books for life lessons? - What experience cannot be learned from reading? A Different Perspective Fiction cannot fully substitute lived experience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Literary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literary/) [Literary fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literary-fiction/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men and women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-and-women/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) [Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women/) [Young men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-men/) ## Related quotes > [The Booker thing was a catalyst for me in a bizarre way. It’s perceived as an accolade to be published as a ‘literary’ writer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-cross/the-booker-thing-was-a-catalyst-for-me-in-a-bizarre-way-it-s/) [Neil Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-cross/) > [It's perceived as an accolade to be published as a 'literary' writer, but, actually, it's pompous and it's fake. Literary fiction is often nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-cross/it-s-perceived-as-an-accolade-to-be-published-as-a-literary-writer/) [Neil Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-cross/) > [If I could have made the change sooner I daresay I should never have given a thought to the literary delights of Paris or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-wharton/if-i-could-have-made-the-change-sooner-i-daresay-i-should-never-have/) [Edith Wharton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-wharton/) > [I read many wonderful novels, though I now find the idea of literary fiction obsolete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sebag-montefiore/i-read-many-wonderful-novels-though-i-now-find-the-idea-of-literary/) [Simon Sebag Montefiore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sebag-montefiore/) > [In writing literary fiction, you are trying to help yourself. And readers are going to literary fiction not just to be entertained, but because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/in-writing-literary-fiction-you-are-trying-to-help-yourself-and/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [If literary fiction is reduced to only middle-class families dealing only with middle-class angst, then it’s really finished as a force for grappling with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-ledgard/if-literary-fiction-is-reduced-to-only-middle-class-families-dealing/) [J. M. Ledgard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-ledgard/) > [“Think of literary fiction as a meal with intricate scents, flavors, and textures that you can’t recognize unless you chew with your eyes closed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-bell/think-of-literary-fiction-as-a-meal-with-intricate-scents-flavors-and/) [Jessica Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-bell/) > [For me, the term "literary fiction" means there's always attention paid to language, and linguistic experimentation, sophistication.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-russell/for-me-the-term-literary-fiction-means-there-s-always-attention-paid/) [Karen Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-russell/) > [Don't get me wrong, I love literary fiction. It's faux literary fiction I can't stand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-lehane/don-t-get-me-wrong-i-love-literary-fiction-it-s-faux-literary-fiction/) [Dennis Lehane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-lehane/) > [“Being a writer of 'literary fiction' means going on and on about something long after the reader has gotten the idea. ...Dan Ahearn”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ahearn/being-a-writer-of-literary-fiction-means-going-on-and-on-about/) [Dan Ahearn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ahearn/) > [Literary fiction, as a strict genre, is all but dead. Meanwhile, most genres flourish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/literary-fiction-as-a-strict-genre-is-all-but-dead-meanwhile-most/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [With literary fiction, generally a film maker falls in love with a book. In commercial fiction, it's a producer or studio falling in love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-gottlieb/with-literary-fiction-generally-a-film-maker-falls-in-love-with-a/) [Robert Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-gottlieb/) > [ \[Michael\] Chabon is arguing in favor of what is at the same time an old-fashioned and very forward-thinking opening up - of taking off… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-barton/michael-chabon-is-arguing-in-favor-of-what-is-at-the-same-time-an-old/) [Emily Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-barton/) > [Considering that "literary fiction" is a sub-genre that's not quite the same as "literature," either, it follows that the short, semi-humorous bits posted online…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-klein/considering-that-literary-fiction-is-a-sub-genre-that-s-not-quite-the/) [Lee Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-klein/) > [I'm well-read as far as literary fiction, but I wanted to make better decisions about my writing, to use words or phrases more confidently…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-shires/i-m-well-read-as-far-as-literary-fiction-but-i-wanted-to-make-better/) [Amanda Shires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-shires/) ## More by Neil Cross > [People often express surprise that I'm not a psychopath. But it's not about what I want to do to other people, it's that I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-cross/people-often-express-surprise-that-i-m-not-a-psychopath-but-it-s-not/) [Neil Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-cross/) > [I don't want to repeat myself. I hate the idea of coasting and of recycling the same ideas. Then, you're just subject to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-cross/i-don-t-want-to-repeat-myself-i-hate-the-idea-of-coasting-and-of/) [Neil Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-cross/) > [And by the right thing, I mean that whatever step we take next, the first criteria we should consider is the people who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-cross/and-by-the-right-thing-i-mean-that-whatever-step-we-take-next-the/) [Neil Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-cross/) > [I am very interested in theology. In fact, my first degree was in theology, so it's something that interests me greatly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-cross/i-am-very-interested-in-theology-in-fact-my-first-degree-was-in/) [Neil Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-cross/) > [“Okay then. That's what I'll do. I'll tell you a story. Can you hear them? All these people who lived in terror of you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-cross/okay-then-that-s-what-i-ll-do-i-ll-tell-you-a-story-can-you-hear-them/) [Neil Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-cross/) > [It's perceived as an accolade to be published as a 'literary' writer, but, actually, it's pompous and it's fake. Literary fiction is often nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-cross/it-s-perceived-as-an-accolade-to-be-published-as-a-literary-writer/) [Neil Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-cross/) > [I don't get on with novelists, don't enjoy their company. Once you've worked for a publisher, you understand the species, see them in their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-cross/i-don-t-get-on-with-novelists-don-t-enjoy-their-company-once-you-ve/) [Neil Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-cross/) > [The thematic bucket of vomit that I've been chained to since I was about 9 is the moral complexity of anti-heroism. I have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-cross/the-thematic-bucket-of-vomit-that-i-ve-been-chained-to-since-i-was/) [Neil Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-cross/) > [The Booker thing was a catalyst for me in a bizarre way. It’s perceived as an accolade to be published as a ‘literary’ writer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-cross/the-booker-thing-was-a-catalyst-for-me-in-a-bizarre-way-it-s/) [Neil Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-cross/) > [I love to see heroes who fuel some kind of moral furnace inside them, who are driven to take on the evils of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-cross/i-love-to-see-heroes-who-fuel-some-kind-of-moral-furnace-inside-them/) [Neil Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-cross/) > [The fictional character with whom I most profoundly identified was Yossarian in Catch-22. Always did, still do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-cross/the-fictional-character-with-whom-i-most-profoundly-identified-was/) [Neil Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-cross/) > [Because this exact leaf had to grow in that exact way, in that exact place, so that precise wind could tear it from that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-cross/because-this-exact-leaf-had-to-grow-in-that-exact-way-in-that-exact/) [Neil Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-cross/) > [Writing a novel is an intense and lonely business, but you have the reward at the end of a very direct dialogue between you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-cross/writing-a-novel-is-an-intense-and-lonely-business-but-you-have-the/) [Neil Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-cross/) > ['Luther' is absolutely a monster-of-the-week show. Although it's post-watershed and is rendered in intense graphic novel-style images, it's inspiration is not that different from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-cross/luther-is-absolutely-a-monster-of-the-week-show-although-it-s-post/) [Neil Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-cross/) > [“I have lived a long life, and I have seen a few things. I walked away from the Last Great Time War. I marked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-cross/i-have-lived-a-long-life-and-i-have-seen-a-few-things-i-walked-away/) [Neil Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-cross/) [Explore all 25 Neil Cross quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-cross/) ## More Always quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) Browse all 36,048 Always quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'd always read omnivorously and often thought much literary fiction is read by young men and women in their 20s as substitutes for experience.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Neil Cross" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-cross/i-d-always-read-omnivorously-and-often-thought-much-literary-fiction/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Always" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-cross/i-d-always-read-omnivorously-and-often-thought-much-literary-fiction/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/604/neil-cross-23838_always_i-d-always-read-omnivorously-and-often-t_245678.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/604/neil-cross-23838_always_i-d-always-read-omnivorously-and-often-t_245678.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/604/neil-cross-23838_always_i-d-always-read-omnivorously-and-often-t_245678.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'd always read omnivorously and often thought much literary fiction is read by young men and women in their…” — Neil Cross", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Neil Cross", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-cross/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'd always read omnivorously and often...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-cross/i-d-always-read-omnivorously-and-often-thought-much-literary-fiction/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-cross/i-d-always-read-omnivorously-and-often-thought-much-literary-fiction/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```