--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: So this is supposed to be the how, and…" description: "\"“So this is supposed to be the how, and when, and why, and what or reading - about the way that, when reading is going well, one book leads to another ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11e/nick-hornby-325_book_so-this-is-supposed-to-be-the-how-and-wh_1312149.jpg" --- # So this is supposed to be the how, and when, and why, and… ![“So this is supposed to be the how, and when, and why, and what or reading - about the way that, when reading is going well, one book leads to another and to another, a paper trail of theme and meaning; and how, when it's going badly, when books don't stick or take, when your mood and the mood of…” quote by Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11e/nick-hornby-325_book_so-this-is-supposed-to-be-the-how-and-wh_1312149.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11e/nick-hornby-325_book_so-this-is-supposed-to-be-the-how-and-wh_1312149.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11e/nick-hornby-325_book_so-this-is-supposed-to-be-the-how-and-wh_1312149.jpg) > ““So this is supposed to be the how, and when, and why, and what or reading - about the way that, when reading is going well, one book leads to another and to another, a paper trail of theme and meaning; and how, when it's going badly, when books don't stick or take, when your mood and the mood of the book are fighting like cats, you'd rather do anything but attempt the next paragraph, or reread the last one for the tenth time. "We talked about books," says a character in Charles Baxter's wonderful Feast of Love, "how boring they were to read, but how you loved them anyway. Anyone who hasn't felt like that isn't owning up.”” [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. Reading can be exhilarating when ideas connect, but frustrating when mood and text clash, leading to avoidance or obsessive rereading. **In simple terms:** Reading feels good when ideas flow, bad when they clash. Key Takeaway Accept the struggle, keep reading despite mood swings. Themes reading connection frustration perseverance Mood reflective thoughtful Type literary personal motivational When to use this quote - studying for exams - research projects - personal leisure reading - writing drafts Key Concepts literary engagement cognitive dissonance emotional resonance Questions to Reflect On - What triggers your reading avoidance? - How can you re‑engage with a difficult passage? A Different Perspective Sometimes external factors, not the text, cause disengagement. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Book Fighting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-fighting-4344146/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Books Says](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books-says-4058135/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Reading Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading-going-1544481/) [Reread](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reread/) [Supposed Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supposed-reading-2771863/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [So this is supposed to be about the how, and when, and why, and what of reading -- about the way that, when reading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/so-this-is-supposed-to-be-about-the-how-and-when-and-why-and-what-of/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [“By mastering character and plot, you give your book a fighting chance and without character and plot, no book can survive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-hart/by-mastering-character-and-plot-you-give-your-book-a-fighting-chance/) [Craig Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-hart/) > [“Shallan, weren't you supposed to be reading?” “I . . . had trouble concentrating.” “So you came up on deck,” Jasnah said, “to sketch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/shallan-weren-t-you-supposed-to-be-reading-i-had-trouble/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [I used to have 20/20 vision, believe it or not; that's gone because of all the reading I did when I wasn't supposed to,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-kent/i-used-to-have-20-20-vision-believe-it-or-not-that-s-gone-because-of/) [Hannah Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-kent/) > [“he was supposed to be reading, but it was impossible. She had done something”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lavyrle-spencer/he-was-supposed-to-be-reading-but-it-was-impossible-she-had-done/) [LaVyrle Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lavyrle-spencer/) > [“He was supposed to be reading, but all he could do was watch her and love her bare arms, her Alice band, her straight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/he-was-supposed-to-be-reading-but-all-he-could-do-was-watch-her-and/) [Ian McEwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [“I can't imagine the reading is still going on. He's written about Canada, for God's sake. How much can there be to say?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/i-can-t-imagine-the-reading-is-still-going-on-he-s-written-about/) [Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/) > [I go around with my books so much and I love to perform on stage, to remind everybody that the lights are off, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-c-boyle/i-go-around-with-my-books-so-much-and-i-love-to-perform-on-stage-to/) [T.C. Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-c-boyle/) > [Books, says Lord Bacon, can never teach us the use of books; the student must learn by commerce with mankind to reduce his speculations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/books-says-lord-bacon-can-never-teach-us-the-use-of-books-the-student/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“Your taste in books says more about you than any other single object in your house. It reflects your interest, your intelligence, your sophistication,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/your-taste-in-books-says-more-about-you-than-any-other-single-object/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Reading is going toward something that is about to be, and no one yet knows what it will be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/reading-is-going-toward-something-that-is-about-to-be-and-no-one-yet/) [Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/) > [Some books that I've read on the Kindle, I've been like, 'I want that on my shelf.' Because it says, 'I'm the kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lee/some-books-that-i-ve-read-on-the-kindle-i-ve-been-like-i-want-that-on/) [Jennifer Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lee/) > [Between 2 and 5 I'm reading in to find out what's been going on while I've been asleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-edwards/between-2-and-5-i-m-reading-in-to-find-out-what-s-been-going-on-while/) [Bob Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-edwards/) > [I like reading, going to the gym, hanging out with my family. That's it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-rhys-meyers/i-like-reading-going-to-the-gym-hanging-out-with-my-family-that-s-it/) [Jonathan Rhys Meyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-rhys-meyers/) > [I'm all about shrimpburgers, reading, and going to the beach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-m-all-about-shrimpburgers-reading-and-going-to-the-beach/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) ## 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. 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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. 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