---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The light shone on a face imprinted with…"
description: "\"“The light shone on a face imprinted with more odd and unwholesome tales than a warehouse full of Bibles.”\" — Neil Stephenson"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/200/neil-stephenson-65071_bible_the-light-shone-on-a-face-imprinted-with_781298.jpg"
---

#  The light shone on a face imprinted with more odd and…

![“The light shone on a face imprinted with more odd and unwholesome tales than a warehouse full of Bibles.” quote by Neil Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/200/neil-stephenson-65071_bible_the-light-shone-on-a-face-imprinted-with_781298.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/200/neil-stephenson-65071_bible_the-light-shone-on-a-face-imprinted-with_781298.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/200/neil-stephenson-65071_bible_the-light-shone-on-a-face-imprinted-with_781298.jpg)

> ““The light shone on a face imprinted with more odd and unwholesome tales than a warehouse full of Bibles.””

Neil Stephenson

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A face filled with dark stories is more unsettling than a warehouse full of holy books.

**In simple terms:** Dark personal histories can be more disturbing than religious texts.

Key Takeaway

Recognize the weight of personal narratives.

Themes

storytelling darkness culture

Mood

cynical thoughtful

Type

literary critical

When to use this quote

- reading
- media analysis
- psychological study

Key Concepts

literature mythology

Questions to Reflect On

- What makes personal tales more unsettling?
- How does culture shape our perception of darkness?

A Different Perspective

May generalize all stories as negative.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/)

## Related quotes

> [She was bendable light: she shone around every corner of my day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-spinelli/she-was-bendable-light-she-shone-around-every-corner-of-my-day/)

[Jerry Spinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-spinelli/)

> [It was a light that shone over our faces, our wounds and scars. It was a light so brilliant and white it could have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-heim/it-was-a-light-that-shone-over-our-faces-our-wounds-and-scars-it-was/)

[Scott Heim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-heim/)

> [“hooded against the afternoon sun that shone in his face.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/hooded-against-the-afternoon-sun-that-shone-in-his-face/)

[Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/)

> [“The queen is ... busy," Wybert said. "When she wants you in her room, the light, it will shine." He indicated a round light…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/the-queen-is-busy-wybert-said-when-she-wants-you-in-her-room-the/)

[Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/)

> [“The light which still shone was derived mainly from a large hole in the western bank of cloud; it was like a piece of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/the-light-which-still-shone-was-derived-mainly-from-a-large-hole-in/)

[Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/)

> [“The light shone down on his plump face, reflected from his rimless glasses, bathed the pinkness of his scalp beneath the thinning sandy hair…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bloch/the-light-shone-down-on-his-plump-face-reflected-from-his-rimless/)

[Robert Bloch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bloch/)

> [Were the last words that I wrote for you, enough to tell you. That in my death, the light that shone through my painful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alesana/were-the-last-words-that-i-wrote-for-you-enough-to-tell-you-that-in-2/)

[Alesana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alesana/)

> [The light has gone out of our lives... Yet I am wrong, for the light that shone in this country was no ordinary light...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jawaharlal-nehru/the-light-has-gone-out-of-our-lives-yet-i-am-wrong-for-the-light-that/)

[Jawaharlal Nehru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jawaharlal-nehru/)

> [“Everything around her was in a fog; the intense light that always shone in his aquamarine eyes was the only thing in focus, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mirella-muffarotto/everything-around-her-was-in-a-fog-the-intense-light-that-always/)

[Mirella Muffarotto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mirella-muffarotto/)

> [“That is what you meant to me: a light that shone through the darkness.” (Your smile, p. 56)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimnese-davids/that-is-what-you-meant-to-me-a-light-that-shone-through-the-darkness/)

Chimnese Davids

> [“A woman gasped. Through the open door I could see a sliver of carolers, some faces peering inside at the scattered tatters of money,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-heim/a-woman-gasped-through-the-open-door-i-could-see-a-sliver-of-carolers/)

[Scott Heim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-heim/)

> [The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; on those who lived in a land of deep shadow a light has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah/the-people-who-walked-in-darkness-have-seen-a-great-light-on-those/)

[Isaiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah/)

> [“With the way the light shone on her, she looked spotlighted, as if a painter had rendered her that way, the center of someones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jillian-hart/with-the-way-the-light-shone-on-her-she-looked-spotlighted-as-if-a/)

Jillian Hart

> [“He realised that this resistance was like a shadow, and that the darker the shadow was, the brighter the light that shone. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-j-walker/he-realised-that-this-resistance-was-like-a-shadow-and-that-the/)

[Adrian J. Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-j-walker/)

> [In this way they went on, and on, and on-in the language of the story-books-until at last the village lights appeared before them, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/in-this-way-they-went-on-and-on-and-on-in-the-language-of-the-story/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

## More by Neil Stephenson

> [“Sokolov was favorable impressed by the fact that he had not yet shit his pants. Men always made crude jokes about people pissing their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-stephenson/sokolov-was-favorable-impressed-by-the-fact-that-he-had-not-yet-shit/)

Neil Stephenson

> [“A hive mind is a social organization of RISTs that are capable of processing semantic memes ("thinking"). These could be either carbon-based or silicon-based.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-stephenson/a-hive-mind-is-a-social-organization-of-rists-that-are-capable-of/)

Neil Stephenson

> [“She doesn't want you to understand her. She knows that's impossible. She just wants you to understand yourself. Everything else is negotiable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-stephenson/she-doesn-t-want-you-to-understand-her-she-knows-that-s-impossible/)

Neil Stephenson

Explore all 4 Neil Stephenson quotes

## More Bible 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/)

> [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/)

[Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/)

> [“God hates Hell. He hates the idea of people going there. He hates it so much that He was willing to take on human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-minton/god-hates-hell-he-hates-the-idea-of-people-going-there-he-hates-it-so/)

[Evan Minton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-minton/)

> [“The Devil can cite Scripture for his purpose, Sergeant,’ Anthony Payne replied. ‘That is from The Merchant of Venice, but it holds great truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-arnold/the-devil-can-cite-scripture-for-his-purpose-sergeant-anthony-payne/)

Michael Arnold

> [When you put your hand on the Bible, you are saying something much stronger than just telling your peers that you're going to tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-greenwood/when-you-put-your-hand-on-the-bible-you-are-saying-something-much/)

[Lee Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-greenwood/)

> [“Scripture also teaches that human beings are morally responsible creatures”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-peterson/scripture-also-teaches-that-human-beings-are-morally-responsible/)

Robert A. Peterson

> [“The wife of a junior officer cooped up in a horrible canvas partition in steerage for five months wrote: "I had enjoyed much peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-taylor/the-wife-of-a-junior-officer-cooped-up-in-a-horrible-canvas-partition/)

Stephen Taylor

> [O Word of God incarnate . . . It is the golden casket Where gems of truth are stored; It is the heaven-drawn picture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walsham-how/o-word-of-god-incarnate-it-is-the-golden-casket-where-gems-of-truth/)

Walsham How

> [How can I trust that the Bible is reliable?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-horton/how-can-i-trust-that-the-bible-is-reliable/)

[Michael Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-horton/)

> [Every plant which my heavenly father has not planted with be uprooted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesus-christ/every-plant-which-my-heavenly-father-has-not-planted-with-be-uprooted/)

[Jesus Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesus-christ/)

> [Where I come from you're not raised to think on your own. It's not that you're pushed to read the Bible. The Bible is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abel-ferrara/where-i-come-from-you-re-not-raised-to-think-on-your-own-it-s-not/)

[Abel Ferrara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abel-ferrara/)

> [“I felt like praying or something, when I was in bed, but I couldn't do it. I can't always pray when I feel like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/i-felt-like-praying-or-something-when-i-was-in-bed-but-i-couldn-t-do/)

[J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/)

> [What comes to mind when you think of heaven? Heaven is referred to in fifty-four of the Bible's sixty-six books, and the final two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/what-comes-to-mind-when-you-think-of-heaven-heaven-is-referred-to-in/)

[David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/)

> [“While it is in one sense a result of God’s presence within us, the New Testament also describes a process involved in our “putting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/while-it-is-in-one-sense-a-result-of-god-s-presence-within-us-the-new/)

[Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/)

> [The definition of a Church is crystal clear in the New Testament. We see the picture of it. They came together the first day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/the-definition-of-a-church-is-crystal-clear-in-the-new-testament-we/)

[John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/)

[Browse all 8,465 Bible quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“The light shone on a face imprinted with more odd and unwholesome tales than a warehouse full of Bibles.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Neil Stephenson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-stephenson/the-light-shone-on-a-face-imprinted-with-more-odd-and-unwholesome/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bible"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-stephenson/the-light-shone-on-a-face-imprinted-with-more-odd-and-unwholesome/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/200/neil-stephenson-65071_bible_the-light-shone-on-a-face-imprinted-with_781298.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/200/neil-stephenson-65071_bible_the-light-shone-on-a-face-imprinted-with_781298.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/200/neil-stephenson-65071_bible_the-light-shone-on-a-face-imprinted-with_781298.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The light shone on a face imprinted with more odd and unwholesome tales than a warehouse full of Bibles.” — Neil Stephenson",
                "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 Stephenson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-stephenson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“The light shone on a face...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-stephenson/the-light-shone-on-a-face-imprinted-with-more-odd-and-unwholesome/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-stephenson/the-light-shone-on-a-face-imprinted-with-more-odd-and-unwholesome/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
