--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's true,\" says Michael. \"Dicken's…" description: "\"“It's true,\" says Michael. \"Dicken's novels came out in monthly installments. People couldn't wait for the next chapter to arrive. Mobs would gather at..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/paul-acampora-25334_books_it-s-true-says-michael-dicken-s-novels-c_378932.jpg" --- # It's true," says Michael. "Dicken's novels came out in… ![“It's true," says Michael. "Dicken's novels came out in monthly installments. People couldn't wait for the next chapter to arrive. Mobs would gather at train stations and shipyards so they could be first in line to get the next part of the book." "Mobs?" I say… ..."People don't feel that way about…” quote by Paul Acampora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/paul-acampora-25334_books_it-s-true-says-michael-dicken-s-novels-c_378932.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/paul-acampora-25334_books_it-s-true-says-michael-dicken-s-novels-c_378932.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/paul-acampora-25334_books_it-s-true-says-michael-dicken-s-novels-c_378932.jpg) > ““It's true," says Michael. "Dicken's novels came out in monthly installments. People couldn't wait for the next chapter to arrive. Mobs would gather at train stations and shipyards so they could be first in line to get the next part of the book." "Mobs?" I say… ..."People don't feel that way about books anymore," Elena says sadly. "Some people do," I say.”” [Paul Acampora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-acampora/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage contrasts past excitement for serialized novels with modern reading habits, highlighting changing cultural engagement with literature. **In simple terms:** People used to eagerly await new book chapters; now reading feels less communal. Key Takeaway Find ways to rekindle communal excitement for reading. Themes culture literature media consumption community nostalgia Mood reflective nostalgic Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - book clubs - literary events - online reading groups Key Concepts sociology media studies reading habits Questions to Reflect On - How can we create shared excitement for books today? - What modern platforms can mimic past communal reading? A Different Perspective Nostalgia may romanticize the past and overlook current benefits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arrive Mobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arrive-mobs-3441151/) [Book Mobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-mobs-3441148/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Dicken Novels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dicken-novels-3441147/) [Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dickens/) [Michael Dicken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/michael-dicken-3441149/) [Mobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mobs/) [Next chapter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next-chapter/) [Novels Came](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novels-came-3441150/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [“Do you want to be in our mob?" Elena asks him. "When did we get a mob?" he says. "We don't have one yet.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-acampora/do-you-want-to-be-in-our-mob-elena-asks-him-when-did-we-get-a-mob-he/) [Paul Acampora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-acampora/) > [“Change isn’t made by mobs that envy, but by men who dare.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierce-brown/change-isn-t-made-by-mobs-that-envy-but-by-men-who-dare/) [Pierce Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierce-brown/) > [“Most of these people are not going anywhere, and have nothing meaningful to do. They are zombies seeking purpose in an environment that cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-hinson/most-of-these-people-are-not-going-anywhere-and-have-nothing/) [Ben Hinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-hinson/) > [Governments oppress people, but so do mobs. You need to avoid both to make progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaron-lanier/governments-oppress-people-but-so-do-mobs-you-need-to-avoid-both-to/) [Jaron Lanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaron-lanier/) > [Lynch mobs are democracies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-boortz/lynch-mobs-are-democracies/) [Neal Boortz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-boortz/) > [Mobs have passions, not brains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/mobs-have-passions-not-brains/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [“The mob took over South Street that warm Saturday night, the first of spring, as though popping up from nowhere, witnesses said. It seemed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-flaherty/the-mob-took-over-south-street-that-warm-saturday-night-the-first-of/) [Colin Flaherty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-flaherty/) > [Accounts of outrages committed by mobs form the every-day news of the times. They have pervaded the country from New England to Louisiana, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/accounts-of-outrages-committed-by-mobs-form-the-every-day-news-of-the/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [It's such a terrifying thing when mobs of people get together and persecute foreigners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-fassbender/it-s-such-a-terrifying-thing-when-mobs-of-people-get-together-and/) [Michael Fassbender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-fassbender/) > [“Cowards are always much more dangerous than heroes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-conrad/cowards-are-always-much-more-dangerous-than-heroes/) [Lance Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-conrad/) > [“You can't fight hatred with hatred and expect anyone to listen to you. You can only try to lessen it with humor, wit, truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/you-can-t-fight-hatred-with-hatred-and-expect-anyone-to-listen-to-you/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [The punishment online mobs can mete out is often disproportionate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeynep-tufekci/the-punishment-online-mobs-can-mete-out-is-often-disproportionate/) [Zeynep Tufekci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeynep-tufekci/) > [I think that fear of the mob, the expectation that people, particularly poor and nonwhite people become mobs almost automatically in the absence of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/i-think-that-fear-of-the-mob-the-expectation-that-people-particularly/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [The psychology of committees is a special case of the psychology of mobs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celia-green/the-psychology-of-committees-is-a-special-case-of-the-psychology-of/) [Celia Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celia-green/) > [“the wisdom of crowds is sometimes overwhelmed by the madness of mobs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-w-lo/the-wisdom-of-crowds-is-sometimes-overwhelmed-by-the-madness-of-mobs/) [Andrew W. Lo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-w-lo/) ## More by Paul Acampora > [“Never use hope to hurt someone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-acampora/never-use-hope-to-hurt-someone/) [Paul Acampora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-acampora/) > [“Look both ways before you cross the street," she tells me. I start to protest, but then it strikes me that if I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-acampora/look-both-ways-before-you-cross-the-street-she-tells-me-i-start-to/) [Paul Acampora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-acampora/) > [“Shelving books incorrectly is as good as stealing them. It's almost worse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-acampora/shelving-books-incorrectly-is-as-good-as-stealing-them-it-s-almost/) [Paul Acampora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-acampora/) > [“You always leave something behind when you start something new.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-acampora/you-always-leave-something-behind-when-you-start-something-new/) [Paul Acampora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-acampora/) > [“We will speak for the books." ... "Like the Lorax?" "The Lorax speaks for the trees," I remind her. "Books are made out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-acampora/we-will-speak-for-the-books-like-the-lorax-the-lorax-speaks-for-the/) [Paul Acampora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-acampora/) > [“It's not enough to know what all the words mean," he continued. "A good reader starts to see what an entire book is trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-acampora/it-s-not-enough-to-know-what-all-the-words-mean-he-continued-a-good/) [Paul Acampora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-acampora/) > [“Where did you hide your Mockingbirds?" he asks. "Ornithology," she replies. "You hid TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD with the bird books?" I ask. Elena…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-acampora/where-did-you-hide-your-mockingbirds-he-asks-ornithology-she-replies/) [Paul Acampora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-acampora/) > [“When you want something," says Michael, "it's like admitting that your life has a hole in it." "And to fill that hole, you need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-acampora/when-you-want-something-says-michael-it-s-like-admitting-that-your/) [Paul Acampora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-acampora/) > [ “Do either one of you know how to turn this thing on?" I join him and punch a couple buttons on the \[printer's\] front… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-acampora/do-either-one-of-you-know-how-to-turn-this-thing-on-i-join-him-and/) [Paul Acampora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-acampora/) > [“Whoa," says Michael. "What is it?" I ask. Michael shakes his head in disbelief. He points at the screen. "Wil Wheaton saw an I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-acampora/whoa-says-michael-what-is-it-i-ask-michael-shakes-his-head-in/) [Paul Acampora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-acampora/) > [“...A book connects you to the universe like a cell phone connects you to the Internet...But it only work if your battery's not dead.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-acampora/a-book-connects-you-to-the-universe-like-a-cell-phone-connects-you-to/) [Paul Acampora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-acampora/) > [“We support all actions that lead to the joy, the fun, the reward, the challenge, and the adventure of reading.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-acampora/we-support-all-actions-that-lead-to-the-joy-the-fun-the-reward-the/) [Paul Acampora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-acampora/) > [“We are all broken, but sometimes the jagged pieces fit together nicely.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-acampora/we-are-all-broken-but-sometimes-the-jagged-pieces-fit-together-nicely/) [Paul Acampora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-acampora/) > [“Mom points at the gravesites all around us. "We all die, Lucy. Me. You. Everybody. But you know what we do first?" I shake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-acampora/mom-points-at-the-gravesites-all-around-us-we-all-die-lucy-me-you/) [Paul Acampora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-acampora/) > [“I'm not one of those people who think that cancer is some kind of jousting match. People live or die based on good medicine,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-acampora/i-m-not-one-of-those-people-who-think-that-cancer-is-some-kind-of/) [Paul Acampora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-acampora/) [Explore all 23 Paul Acampora quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-acampora/) ## More Books 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/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [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/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [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/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) [Christopher K. Krebs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-k-krebs/) > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [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/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) [Markus Herz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-herz/) > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It's true,\" says Michael. \"Dicken's novels came out in monthly installments. People couldn't wait for the next chapter to arrive. Mobs would gather at train stations and shipyards so they could be first in line to get the next part of the book.\" \"Mobs?\" I say… ...\"People don't feel that way about books anymore,\" Elena says sadly. \"Some people do,\" I say.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paul Acampora" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-acampora/it-s-true-says-michael-dicken-s-novels-came-out-in-monthly/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-acampora/it-s-true-says-michael-dicken-s-novels-came-out-in-monthly/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/paul-acampora-25334_books_it-s-true-says-michael-dicken-s-novels-c_378932.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/paul-acampora-25334_books_it-s-true-says-michael-dicken-s-novels-c_378932.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/paul-acampora-25334_books_it-s-true-says-michael-dicken-s-novels-c_378932.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's true,\" says Michael. \"Dicken's novels came out in monthly installments. People couldn't wait for the…” — Paul Acampora", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Paul Acampora", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-acampora/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It's true,\" says Michael. \"Dicken's novels...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-acampora/it-s-true-says-michael-dicken-s-novels-came-out-in-monthly/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-acampora/it-s-true-says-michael-dicken-s-novels-came-out-in-monthly/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```