Books Quote by Nicole Krauss
““Like most music that affects me deeply, I would never listen to it while others were around, just as I would not pass on a book that I especially loved to another. I am embarrassed to admit this, knowing that it reveals some essential lack or selfishness in my nature, and aware that it runs contrary to the instincts of most, whose passion for something leads them to want to share it, to ignite a similar passion in others, and that without the benefit of such enthusiasm I would still be ignorant of many of the books and much of the music I love most... But rather than an expansion, I've always felt a diminishment of my own pleasure when I've invited someone else to take part in it, a rupture in the intimacy I felt with the work, an invasion of privacy. It is worst when someone else picks up the copy of a book I've just been enthralled by and begins casually to thumb through the pages.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: The New Yorker, 2015
Personal intimacy with art can feel compromised when shared, revealing a tension between private joy and communal experience.
In simple terms: Sharing art can reduce personal pleasure.
Key Takeaway
Respect personal space with cherished works.
Themes
privacy
art
sharing
intimacy
selfishness
Mood
contemplative
conflicted
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- reading clubs
- music listening parties
- private listening sessions
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
aesthetic experience
social norms
Questions to Reflect On
- What makes an experience intimate?
- When is sharing beneficial?
A Different Perspective
May undervalue the joy of shared discovery.
