--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I am not usually such a sluggard,\" he…" description: "\"“I am not usually such a sluggard,\" he said, as we walked quickly along the street, \"but yesterday evening I got a novel. I ought not to read novels. W..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5c/r-austin-freeman-50859_books_i-am-not-usually-such-a-sluggard-he-said_1981720.jpg" --- # I am not usually such a sluggard," he said, as we walked… ![“I am not usually such a sluggard," he said, as we walked quickly along the street, "but yesterday evening I got a novel. I ought not to read novels. When I do, I am apt to make a single mouthful of it; and that is what I did last night. I started the book at nine and finished it at two this…” quote by R. Austin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5c/r-austin-freeman-50859_books_i-am-not-usually-such-a-sluggard-he-said_1981720.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5c/r-austin-freeman-50859_books_i-am-not-usually-such-a-sluggard-he-said_1981720.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5c/r-austin-freeman-50859_books_i-am-not-usually-such-a-sluggard-he-said_1981720.jpg) > ““I am not usually such a sluggard," he said, as we walked quickly along the street, "but yesterday evening I got a novel. I ought not to read novels. When I do, I am apt to make a single mouthful of it; and that is what I did last night. I started the book at nine and finished it at two this morning; and the result is that I am as sleepy as an owl even now.”” [R. Austin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-austin-freeman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He admits to a compulsive habit of binge-reading novels, leading to exhaustion. **In simple terms:** He reads a novel quickly and becomes very sleepy. Key Takeaway Balance reading pace with rest. Themes habits self‑control literature Mood reflective humorous Type literary personal When to use this quote - late‑night reading - study sessions - creative writing - relaxation Key Concepts compulsive behavior time management sleep deprivation Questions to Reflect On - Do you set limits on reading sessions? - How does sleep affect your focus? A Different Perspective Rapid reading can impair comprehension and health. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [If you don't like my book, write your own. 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Austin Freeman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-austin-freeman/) ## 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! 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