--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm never going to complain about…" description: "\"“I'm never going to complain about receiving free early copies of books, because clearly there's nothing to complain about, but it does introduce a rog..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e5/nick-hornby-325_book-critic_i-m-never-going-to-complain-about-receiv_1054253.jpg" --- # I'm never going to complain about receiving free early… ![“I'm never going to complain about receiving free early copies of books, because clearly there's nothing to complain about, but it does introduce a rogue element into one's otherwise carefully plotted reading schedule. ... Being a reader is sort of like being president, except reading involves…” quote by Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e5/nick-hornby-325_book-critic_i-m-never-going-to-complain-about-receiv_1054253.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e5/nick-hornby-325_book-critic_i-m-never-going-to-complain-about-receiv_1054253.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e5/nick-hornby-325_book-critic_i-m-never-going-to-complain-about-receiv_1054253.jpg) > ““I'm never going to complain about receiving free early copies of books, because clearly there's nothing to complain about, but it does introduce a rogue element into one's otherwise carefully plotted reading schedule. ... Being a reader is sort of like being president, except reading involves fewer state dinners, usually. You have this agenda you want to get through, but you get distracted by life events, e.g., books arriving in the mail/World War III, and you are temporarly deflected from your chosen path. ”” [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker humorously compares reading to a presidential role, noting that unexpected events like receiving books can disrupt carefully planned reading goals **In simple terms:** Unexpected interruptions can derail even well‑planned reading habits Key Takeaway Allow flexibility in your reading schedule to accommodate surprises Themes reading distraction planning Mood lighthearted reflective Type humorous inspirational When to use this quote - book clubs - personal development - time management - creative writing Key Concepts Literary humor personal anecdote Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance reading with other responsibilities? - What strategies keep you focused when distractions arise? A Different Perspective The analogy may exaggerate the importance of reading relative to other life duties ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Chosen path](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chosen-path/) [Freebies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freebies/) [Life events](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-events/) [Planning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/planning/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [World war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-war/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [Being a reader is sort of like being president, except reading involves fewer state dinners, usually. You have this agenda you want to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/being-a-reader-is-sort-of-like-being-president-except-reading/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [“As we passed his table, I saw that the device that imprisoned the book was clever but wicked-looking, as though the critic were holding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/as-we-passed-his-table-i-saw-that-the-device-that-imprisoned-the-book/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [“Wait a second, is a snooty book critic actually admitting to judging books by their covers?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-correia/wait-a-second-is-a-snooty-book-critic-actually-admitting-to-judging/) [Larry Correia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-correia/) > [“Reading is action. Even though it is often done quietly and alone, reading is a profoundly social activity, and a vigorous and demanding one.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-paul-hunter/reading-is-action-even-though-it-is-often-done-quietly-and-alone/) J. Paul Hunter > [“In The Woman Reader Kate Flint argues that "the study of reading...involves examining a fulcrum: the meeting-place of discourses of subjectivity and socialization." Reading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-romines/in-the-woman-reader-kate-flint-argues-that-the-study-of-reading/) Ann Romines > [I don't want to be all worthy about it, but I don't do red carpets, I don't do events and I don't accept freebies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcavoy/i-don-t-want-to-be-all-worthy-about-it-but-i-don-t-do-red-carpets-i/) [James McAvoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcavoy/) > [“Sometimes you caught a break, but outright freebies? Never.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/sometimes-you-caught-a-break-but-outright-freebies-never/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“Statements of ordinary people are ignored like poor freebies, statements of great people are accepted like profound philosophy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/statements-of-ordinary-people-are-ignored-like-poor-freebies/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Adidas have been my pals for years. I might have been skint these past few years but I might also have been naked if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-ryder/adidas-have-been-my-pals-for-years-i-might-have-been-skint-these-past/) [Shaun Ryder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-ryder/) > [“No freebies...be paid for your art. This is your business.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-goldin/no-freebies-be-paid-for-your-art-this-is-your-business/) [Lisa Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-goldin/) > [“Paying or having paid for something often makes it seem necessary; or better, more important, or more useful than it is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/paying-or-having-paid-for-something-often-makes-it-seem-necessary-or/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [“look, and I’m sure you’ll be amazed at the wealth of great books—usually there are several hundred freebies in virtually every category of fiction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-weber/look-and-i-m-sure-you-ll-be-amazed-at-the-wealth-of-great-books/) [Steve Weber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-weber/) > [I don’t spend much because a lot of it is freebies. Though, usually, I pay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonam-kapoor/i-don-t-spend-much-because-a-lot-of-it-is-freebies-though-usually-i/) [Sonam Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonam-kapoor/) > [“The truth is I’m a chicken shit coward who’s afraid of a girl like you. When I’m with you, I want things I never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-lyn/the-truth-is-i-m-a-chicken-shit-coward-who-s-afraid-of-a-girl-like/) [Jenny Lyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-lyn/) > [If I know a guy who's a really good improvisational actor, I'd be foolish not to let him because he'll come up with goodies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-reiner/if-i-know-a-guy-who-s-a-really-good-improvisational-actor-i-d-be/) [Rob Reiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-reiner/) ## More by Nick Hornby > [You can wait forever for the muse to sit on your shoulder, but most of the time you know what has to be done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/you-can-wait-forever-for-the-muse-to-sit-on-your-shoulder-but-most-of/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > […I've had a bad week." What's happened?" Nothing's happened. I've had a bad week in my head, is all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/i-ve-had-a-bad-week-what-s-happened-nothing-s-happened-i-ve-had-a-bad/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [“When they – I cannot bring myself to use the first-person plural in this instance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/when-they-i-cannot-bring-myself-to-use-the-first-person-plural-in/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [“What you don't ever catch a glimpse of on your wedding day - because how could you? - is that some days you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/what-you-don-t-ever-catch-a-glimpse-of-on-your-wedding-day-because/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [A good compilation tape, like breaking up, is hard to do and takes ages longer than it might seem. You've got to kick off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/a-good-compilation-tape-like-breaking-up-is-hard-to-do-and-takes-ages/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [I'm still not a very good white wine, but I'm drinkable - you could put me in a punch, anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/i-m-still-not-a-very-good-white-wine-but-i-m-drinkable-you-could-put/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [I never mind the accusations of domesticity, as long as people recognise that all of us, even the luckiest, will live lives in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/i-never-mind-the-accusations-of-domesticity-as-long-as-people/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [I wasted the 1980s. I wasted every minute at Cambridge talking to people who knew more about music than I did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/i-wasted-the-1980s-i-wasted-every-minute-at-cambridge-talking-to/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [“I took her outside on to a little roof terrace that looked like it never got the sun at nay time of the day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/i-took-her-outside-on-to-a-little-roof-terrace-that-looked-like-it/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [“I feel as though I have been having conversations like this all my life. None of us is young anymore, but what has just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/i-feel-as-though-i-have-been-having-conversations-like-this-all-my/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [“I'm OK. Really. I can find people. I'll be all right.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/i-m-ok-really-i-can-find-people-i-ll-be-all-right/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [“Read any women's magazine and you'll see the same complaint over and over again: men - those little boys ten or twenty or thirty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/read-any-women-s-magazine-and-you-ll-see-the-same-complaint-over-and/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [“Defansçılar her zaman forvetçilerden daha iyi analizcilerdir.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/defans-lar-her-zaman-forvet-ilerden-daha-iyi-analizcilerdir/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [On New Year's Eve he ould make a resolution to recover some his previous scepticism, but until then he would do as the Romans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/on-new-year-s-eve-he-ould-make-a-resolution-to-recover-some-his/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [It's no good looking to writers for definitions of what constitutes proper writing, because you will drive yourself crazy, and you won't find anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/it-s-no-good-looking-to-writers-for-definitions-of-what-constitutes/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) [Explore all 645 Nick Hornby quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) ## More Book-critic quotes > [“Wait a second, is a snooty book critic actually admitting to judging books by their covers?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-correia/wait-a-second-is-a-snooty-book-critic-actually-admitting-to-judging/) [Larry Correia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-correia/) > [“As we passed his table, I saw that the device that imprisoned the book was clever but wicked-looking, as though the critic were holding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/as-we-passed-his-table-i-saw-that-the-device-that-imprisoned-the-book/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) Browse all 3 Book-critic quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I'm never going to complain about receiving free early copies of books, because clearly there's nothing to complain about, but it does introduce a rogue element into one's otherwise carefully plotted reading schedule. ... 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