Books Quote by Nicholson Baker
““It's time for bed. And here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to get in bed, and I don't have anyone to sleep with now, so what I do is I sleep with my books. And I know that's kind of weird and solitary and pathetic. But if you think about it, it's very cozy. Over a period of four, five, six, seven, nine, twenty nights of sleeping, you've taken all these books to bed with you, and you fall asleep, and the books are there. *** Some of the books are thick, and some are thin, some of the books are in hardcover and some in paperback. Sometimes they get rolled up with the pillows and the blankets. And I never make the bed. So it's like a stew of books. The bed is the liquid medium. It's a Campbell's Chunky Soup of books. The bed you eat with a fork.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: The New Yorker, “The Book Lover’s Bed”, 1995
The speaker describes sleeping with books as a comforting, solitary ritual, turning the bed into a metaphorical soup of literature.
In simple terms: Sleeping with books feels cozy and personal.
Key Takeaway
Embrace solitary comforts.
Themes
solitude
comfort
literature
ritual
Mood
reflective
intimate
Type
personal
metaphorical
When to use this quote
- nighttime reading
- personal reflection
- stress relief
- creative inspiration
Key Concepts
metaphor
personal ritual
comfort objects
Questions to Reflect On
- How does physical proximity to books affect your reading habits?
- What does this ritual reveal about your relationship with solitude?
A Different Perspective
May limit social interaction and physical comfort.
