--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I would never attempt to dissuade anyone…" description: "\"“I would never attempt to dissuade anyone from reading a book. But please, if you're reading something that's killing you, put it down and read somethi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f9/nick-hornby-author-87682_book_i-would-never-attempt-to-dissuade-anyone_2627114.jpg" --- # I would never attempt to dissuade anyone from reading a… ![“I would never attempt to dissuade anyone from reading a book. But please, if you're reading something that's killing you, put it down and read something else, just as you would reach for the remote if you weren't enjoying a TV program...All I know is that you can get very little from a book that…” quote by Nick Hornby (Author](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f9/nick-hornby-author-87682_book_i-would-never-attempt-to-dissuade-anyone_2627114.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f9/nick-hornby-author-87682_book_i-would-never-attempt-to-dissuade-anyone_2627114.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f9/nick-hornby-author-87682_book_i-would-never-attempt-to-dissuade-anyone_2627114.jpg) > ““I would never attempt to dissuade anyone from reading a book. But please, if you're reading something that's killing you, put it down and read something else, just as you would reach for the remote if you weren't enjoying a TV program...All I know is that you can get very little from a book that is making you weep with the effort of reading it. You won't remember it, and you'll be less likely to choose a book over \[insert popular contemporary TV program\] next time you have a choice.”” [Nick Hornby (Author](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby-author/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reading a book that feels like a chore should be abandoned in favor of something enjoyable, like switching a TV channel. **In simple terms:** Drop books that feel like a chore for enjoyable ones. Key Takeaway Choose reading that brings joy. Themes reading choice media consumption Mood lighthearted practical Type advice personal When to use this quote - personal preferences Key Concepts book selection TV comparison Questions to Reflect On - What makes a book feel laborious? - How can we discover engaging reading material? A Different Perspective unfulfilling literature ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Book reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-reading/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Dissuade Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dissuade-reading-2159220/) [Effort Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort-reading-2159221/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Joy of reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy-of-reading/) [Killing Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killing-read-2159222/) [Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature/) [Next time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next-time/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Reading A Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading-a-book/) [Reading Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading-book/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [“Please stop patronizing those who are reading a book - The Da Vinci Code, maybe- because they are enjoying it. For a start, none…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/please-stop-patronizing-those-who-are-reading-a-book-the-da-vinci/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [There is more treasure in books than in all the pirates' loot on Treasure Island...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/there-is-more-treasure-in-books-than-in-all-the-pirates-loot-on-2/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [You must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/you-must-find-time-for-reading-or-surrender-yourself-to-self-chosen/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Love of books is the best of all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-kennedy/love-of-books-is-the-best-of-all/) [Jackie Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-kennedy/) > [There is an art of reading, an art of thinking, and an art of writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-d-israeli/there-is-an-art-of-reading-an-art-of-thinking-and-an-art-of-writing/) [Isaac D'Israeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-d-israeli/) > [Books are the quietest and most constant of friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-william-eliot/books-are-the-quietest-and-most-constant-of-friends/) [Charles William Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-william-eliot/) > [The physical effort of reading drains some of the pleasure I might take from whatever I'm reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-grazer/the-physical-effort-of-reading-drains-some-of-the-pleasure-i-might/) [Brian Grazer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-grazer/) > [All I know is that you can get very little from a book that is making you weep with the effort of reading it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/all-i-know-is-that-you-can-get-very-little-from-a-book-that-is-making/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [With so much effort, & their reading them this now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/with-so-much-effort-their-reading-them-this-now/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There's nothing wrong with reading a book you love over and over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-carson-levine/there-s-nothing-wrong-with-reading-a-book-you-love-over-and-over/) [Gail Carson Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-carson-levine/) > [I like to read a couple books at once. I was reading the Princess Diana book. I'm reading a book about Chicago and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-montag/i-like-to-read-a-couple-books-at-once-i-was-reading-the-princess/) [Heidi Montag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-montag/) > [Reading a book is like re-writing it for yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-carter/reading-a-book-is-like-re-writing-it-for-yourself/) [Angela Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-carter/) > [Reading a hard copy book, and reading a book on an iPad are slightly different experiences. What they both have in common though is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/levar-burton/reading-a-hard-copy-book-and-reading-a-book-on-an-ipad-are-slightly/) [LeVar Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/levar-burton/) > [“To dream of afar, to chase a star, to believe in Captain Hook. To dance with bears and have no cares, this is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-stephens/to-dream-of-afar-to-chase-a-star-to-believe-in-captain-hook-to-dance/) [H.L. Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-stephens/) > [So often we think, well, kids learn to read at school, I don't have to be responsible for that. But in fact they learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-walton-hamilton/so-often-we-think-well-kids-learn-to-read-at-school-i-don-t-have-to/) [Emma Walton Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-walton-hamilton/) ## More by Nick Hornby (Author > [“I've spent nearly thirty years listening to people sing about broken hearts, has it helped me any? Has it fuck.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby-author/i-ve-spent-nearly-thirty-years-listening-to-people-sing-about-broken/) [Nick Hornby (Author](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby-author/) > [“You don't ask people with knives in their stomachs what would make them happy; happiness is no longer the point. It's all about survival;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby-author/you-don-t-ask-people-with-knives-in-their-stomachs-what-would-make/) [Nick Hornby (Author](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby-author/) [Explore all 3 Nick Hornby (Author quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby-author/) ## More Book 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/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I would never attempt to dissuade anyone from reading a book. 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