--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't care whether a book is a first…" description: "\"I don't care whether a book is a first edition or not. I'm not a bibliophile in that word's natural sense.\" — Norman MacCaig" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/509/norman-maccaig-15658_bibliophile_i-don-t-care-whether-a-book-is-a-first-e_2159125.png" --- # I don't care whether a book is a first edition or not. I'm… ![“I don't care whether a book is a first edition or not. I'm not a bibliophile in that word's natural sense.” quote by Norman MacCaig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/509/norman-maccaig-15658_bibliophile_i-don-t-care-whether-a-book-is-a-first-e_2159125.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/509/norman-maccaig-15658_bibliophile_i-don-t-care-whether-a-book-is-a-first-e_2159125.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/509/norman-maccaig-15658_bibliophile_i-don-t-care-whether-a-book-is-a-first-e_2159125.png) > “I don't care whether a book is a first edition or not. I'm not a bibliophile in that word's natural sense.” [Norman MacCaig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-maccaig/) ## 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 dismisses the importance of a book's edition status, focusing on content over collectibility. **In simple terms:** Edition status is irrelevant to the speaker. Key Takeaway Value the ideas, not the rarity. Themes literature collectibility values Mood reflective neutral Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - library research - personal reading - collecting - academic citation Key Concepts bibliophilia subjectivity Questions to Reflect On - Do you prioritize content over rarity? - How does edition status affect your reading experience? A Different Perspective Neglecting edition details may overlook historical context. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bibliophile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bibliophile/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [“I'm just surprised you can understand it. Is it the picture book edition?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jus-accardo/i-m-just-surprised-you-can-understand-it-is-it-the-picture-book/) [Jus Accardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jus-accardo/) > [“Book Bans Are Dumb (Sonnet 1587) Book bans are dumb, It makes the mind numb. If banning books were justice, Middle ages would've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/book-bans-are-dumb-sonnet-1587-book-bans-are-dumb-it-makes-the-mind/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [Her library would have been valuable to a bibliophile except she treated her books execrably. I would rarely open a volume that she had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/her-library-would-have-been-valuable-to-a-bibliophile-except-she/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) > [“That must be something to discover a book that nobody's ever heard of or everybody thought was lost." "It's every bibliophile's dream," said Francis,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-lovett/that-must-be-something-to-discover-a-book-that-nobody-s-ever-heard-of/) [Charlie Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-lovett/) > [“Coffee makes you alert, books make you awake. Booze makes you forget life, books bring you to life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/coffee-makes-you-alert-books-make-you-awake-booze-makes-you-forget/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“It is often much harder to get rid of books than it is to acquire them. They stick to us in that pact of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-mar-a-dom-nguez/it-is-often-much-harder-to-get-rid-of-books-than-it-is-to-acquire/) [Carlos María Domínguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-mar-a-dom-nguez/) > [“It needs to be repeated that books are much more than merely vehicles for text. Awareness of the way a book is created, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roderick-cave-sara-ayad/it-needs-to-be-repeated-that-books-are-much-more-than-merely-vehicles/) Roderick Cave & Sara Ayad > [“The house I grew up in is one of a kind. It’s a bibliophile’s fantasy, and if the Library of Congress had a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/the-house-i-grew-up-in-is-one-of-a-kind-it-s-a-bibliophile-s-fantasy/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [I'm the farthest thing from a bibliophile. I purge my collection regularly: If I haven't read a book in a couple of years, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-m-the-farthest-thing-from-a-bibliophile-i-purge-my-collection/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [To a bibliophile, there is but one thing better than a box of new books, and that is a box of old ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-thomas/to-a-bibliophile-there-is-but-one-thing-better-than-a-box-of-new/) [Will Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-thomas/) > [“For all her faults, it was actually my mom who instilled in me a love of reading, and books, for which I will always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-gruben/for-all-her-faults-it-was-actually-my-mom-who-instilled-in-me-a-love/) [Paula Gruben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-gruben/) > [A bibliophile has approximately the same relationship to literature as a philatelist to geography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/a-bibliophile-has-approximately-the-same-relationship-to-literature/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Holy borrowing bibliophile, let's book!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/holy-borrowing-bibliophile-let-s-book/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [“He pinched the remaining chapters’ pages delicately between his fingers and sighed. He always hated reaching the end of a good book.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-e-zapanta/he-pinched-the-remaining-chapters-pages-delicately-between-his/) [David S.E. Zapanta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-e-zapanta/) > [“It is odd, isn’t it? Whenever I read something interesting, I tear out a piece and keep it as a talisman until I find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/it-is-odd-isn-t-it-whenever-i-read-something-interesting-i-tear-out-a/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) ## More by Norman MacCaig > [“The day Was like the buzzard on the pine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-maccaig/the-day-was-like-the-buzzard-on-the-pine/) [Norman MacCaig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-maccaig/) > [In fact a lot of them I think are absolute baloney. Those Charles Olsens and people like that. At first I was interested in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-maccaig/in-fact-a-lot-of-them-i-think-are-absolute-baloney-those-charles/) [Norman MacCaig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-maccaig/) > [If I wrote a play with four characters every single one of them would talk like me regardless of age or sex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-maccaig/if-i-wrote-a-play-with-four-characters-every-single-one-of-them-would/) [Norman MacCaig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-maccaig/) > [I don't think of myself all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-maccaig/i-don-t-think-of-myself-all-the-time/) [Norman MacCaig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-maccaig/) > [And it's impossible for me to read Henry James.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-maccaig/and-it-s-impossible-for-me-to-read-henry-james/) [Norman MacCaig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-maccaig/) > [And the second question, can poetry be taught? I didn't think so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-maccaig/and-the-second-question-can-poetry-be-taught-i-didn-t-think-so/) [Norman MacCaig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-maccaig/) > [Anybody who writes doesn't like to be misunderstood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-maccaig/anybody-who-writes-doesn-t-like-to-be-misunderstood/) [Norman MacCaig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-maccaig/) > [All those authors there, most of whom of course I've never met. That's the poetry side, that's the prose side, that's the fishing and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-maccaig/all-those-authors-there-most-of-whom-of-course-i-ve-never-met-that-s/) [Norman MacCaig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-maccaig/) > [And in a way, that's been a help to me, because I take great passions for a particular poet - sometimes it lasts for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-maccaig/and-in-a-way-that-s-been-a-help-to-me-because-i-take-great-passions/) [Norman MacCaig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-maccaig/) > [But I hang on to books. I love them. I even think they're very nice decor in a room - far better than paintings...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-maccaig/but-i-hang-on-to-books-i-love-them-i-even-think-they-re-very-nice/) [Norman MacCaig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-maccaig/) > [I find it's impossible for me to read Proust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-maccaig/i-find-it-s-impossible-for-me-to-read-proust/) [Norman MacCaig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-maccaig/) > [I was very interested in American poetry for many years. Much less now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-maccaig/i-was-very-interested-in-american-poetry-for-many-years-much-less-now/) [Norman MacCaig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-maccaig/) > [A terrible thing about getting oldish is that your friends start dying, and in the last ten years I have lost seven or eight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-maccaig/a-terrible-thing-about-getting-oldish-is-that-your-friends-start/) [Norman MacCaig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-maccaig/) > [I learned words, I learned words; but half of them died from lack of exercise. And the ones I use often look at me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-maccaig/i-learned-words-i-learned-words-but-half-of-them-died-from-lack-of/) [Norman MacCaig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-maccaig/) > [Well, I love fishing. I wouldn't kill a fly myself but I've no hesitation in killing a fish. A lot of men are like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-maccaig/well-i-love-fishing-i-wouldn-t-kill-a-fly-myself-but-i-ve-no/) [Norman MacCaig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-maccaig/) [Explore all 42 Norman MacCaig quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-maccaig/) ## More Bibliophile quotes > [“Book Bans Are Dumb (Sonnet 1587) Book bans are dumb, It makes the mind numb. If banning books were justice, Middle ages would've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/book-bans-are-dumb-sonnet-1587-book-bans-are-dumb-it-makes-the-mind/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“He pinched the remaining chapters’ pages delicately between his fingers and sighed. He always hated reaching the end of a good book.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-e-zapanta/he-pinched-the-remaining-chapters-pages-delicately-between-his/) [David S.E. Zapanta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-e-zapanta/) > [Holy borrowing bibliophile, let's book!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/holy-borrowing-bibliophile-let-s-book/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [A bibliophile has approximately the same relationship to literature as a philatelist to geography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/a-bibliophile-has-approximately-the-same-relationship-to-literature/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [“For all her faults, it was actually my mom who instilled in me a love of reading, and books, for which I will always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-gruben/for-all-her-faults-it-was-actually-my-mom-who-instilled-in-me-a-love/) [Paula Gruben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-gruben/) > [To a bibliophile, there is but one thing better than a box of new books, and that is a box of old ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-thomas/to-a-bibliophile-there-is-but-one-thing-better-than-a-box-of-new/) [Will Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-thomas/) > [I'm the farthest thing from a bibliophile. I purge my collection regularly: If I haven't read a book in a couple of years, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-m-the-farthest-thing-from-a-bibliophile-i-purge-my-collection/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [“The house I grew up in is one of a kind. It’s a bibliophile’s fantasy, and if the Library of Congress had a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/the-house-i-grew-up-in-is-one-of-a-kind-it-s-a-bibliophile-s-fantasy/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“It needs to be repeated that books are much more than merely vehicles for text. Awareness of the way a book is created, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roderick-cave-sara-ayad/it-needs-to-be-repeated-that-books-are-much-more-than-merely-vehicles/) Roderick Cave & Sara Ayad > [“It is often much harder to get rid of books than it is to acquire them. They stick to us in that pact of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-mar-a-dom-nguez/it-is-often-much-harder-to-get-rid-of-books-than-it-is-to-acquire/) [Carlos María Domínguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-mar-a-dom-nguez/) > [“Coffee makes you alert, books make you awake. Booze makes you forget life, books bring you to life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/coffee-makes-you-alert-books-make-you-awake-booze-makes-you-forget/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“That must be something to discover a book that nobody's ever heard of or everybody thought was lost." "It's every bibliophile's dream," said Francis,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-lovett/that-must-be-something-to-discover-a-book-that-nobody-s-ever-heard-of/) [Charlie Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-lovett/) > [Her library would have been valuable to a bibliophile except she treated her books execrably. I would rarely open a volume that she had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/her-library-would-have-been-valuable-to-a-bibliophile-except-she/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) > [“It is odd, isn’t it? Whenever I read something interesting, I tear out a piece and keep it as a talisman until I find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/it-is-odd-isn-t-it-whenever-i-read-something-interesting-i-tear-out-a/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [“I was in a bibliophile's Eylsium.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-moers/i-was-in-a-bibliophile-s-eylsium/) [Walter Moers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-moers/) [Browse all 48 Bibliophile quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bibliophile/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't care whether a book is a first edition or not. 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