--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Maybe that's why I prefer this new…" description: "\"“Maybe that's why I prefer this new library to my own bedroom: looking at the million book spines, I can imagine a million alternate endings. It turned..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c02/rebecca-makkai-20617_books_maybe-that-s-why-i-prefer-this-new-libra_2195473.jpg" --- # Maybe that's why I prefer this new library to my own… ![“Maybe that's why I prefer this new library to my own bedroom: looking at the million book spines, I can imagine a million alternate endings. It turned out the butler did it all, or I ended up marrying Mr. Darcy, or we went and watched a girl ride the merry-go-round in Central Park, or we beat on…” quote by Rebecca Makkai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c02/rebecca-makkai-20617_books_maybe-that-s-why-i-prefer-this-new-libra_2195473.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c02/rebecca-makkai-20617_books_maybe-that-s-why-i-prefer-this-new-libra_2195473.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c02/rebecca-makkai-20617_books_maybe-that-s-why-i-prefer-this-new-libra_2195473.jpg) > ““Maybe that's why I prefer this new library to my own bedroom: looking at the million book spines, I can imagine a million alternate endings. It turned out the butler did it all, or I ended up marrying Mr. Darcy, or we went and watched a girl ride the merry-go-round in Central Park, or we beat on against the current in our little boats, or Atticus Finch was there when we woke up in the morning.”” [Rebecca Makkai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-makkai/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Imagining countless story possibilities while surrounded by books highlights the power of imagination to create alternate narratives. **In simple terms:** Books inspire endless alternate endings. Key Takeaway Embrace imaginative play with stories. Themes creativity imagination literature Mood wonderful inspired Type literary creative When to use this quote - writing workshops - reading clubs - creative brainstorming - book clubs Key Concepts alternate narratives storytelling library fiction Questions to Reflect On - How does imagining alternate endings affect your real choices? - What value does daydreaming bring to creativity? A Different Perspective Imagination may distract from real-life responsibilities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Atticus Finch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atticus-finch/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Central park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/central-park/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > ['To Kill a Mockingbird' is really two stories. One is a coming-of-age tale told from the point of view of Scout Finch, a girl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-j-shields/to-kill-a-mockingbird-is-really-two-stories-one-is-a-coming-of-age/) [Charles J. Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-j-shields/) > [Yes, Atticus Finch is a literary creation, but he stands for something real and enduring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamelle-bouie/yes-atticus-finch-is-a-literary-creation-but-he-stands-for-something/) [Jamelle Bouie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamelle-bouie/) > [You just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anybody says to you, don't you let 'em get your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/you-just-hold-your-head-high-and-keep-those-fists-down-no-matter-what/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“I certainly am. I do my best to love everybody... I'm hard put, sometimes - baby, it's never an insult to be called what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/i-certainly-am-i-do-my-best-to-love-everybody-i-m-hard-put-sometimes/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee-to-kill-a-mockingbird/i-wanted-you-to-see-what-real-courage-is-instead-of-getting-the-idea-3/) Harper Lee To Kill a Mockingbird > [“You think about that,” Miss Maudie was saying. “It was no accident. I was sittin‘ there on the porch last night, waiting. I waited…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/you-think-about-that-miss-maudie-was-saying-it-was-no-accident-i-was/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [I wanted to be Atticus Finch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hasan-minhaj/i-wanted-to-be-atticus-finch/) [Hasan Minhaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hasan-minhaj/) > [“I wish Bob Ewell wouldn’t chew tobacco,” was all Atticus said about it. According to Miss Stephanie Crawford, however, Atticus was leaving the post…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/i-wish-bob-ewell-wouldn-t-chew-tobacco-was-all-atticus-said-about-it/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“(Brin) 'How good is your lawyer, on a scale of Atticus Finch to Franklin and Bash?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-henry/brin-how-good-is-your-lawyer-on-a-scale-of-atticus-finch-to-franklin/) [Lisa Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-henry/) > [I don't say anything and he casually leans against my desk, picking up the novel that's sitting there. "It's bullshit," he tells me, flicking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/i-don-t-say-anything-and-he-casually-leans-against-my-desk-picking-up/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) > [“You know, Scout. You never really understand a person until you climb in their skin and walk around in it for a while." Atticus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-moser/you-know-scout-you-never-really-understand-a-person-until-you-climb/) James Moser > [“Atticus Finch is the most beautiful man I’ve ever met in print. He’s a good dad and he does what’s right, not what’s safe,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-ashley/atticus-finch-is-the-most-beautiful-man-i-ve-ever-met-in-print-he-s-a/) [Kristen Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-ashley/) > [“No code mattered to her before she broke it, but it came crashing down on her afterwards." - Atticus Finch”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee-to-kill-a-mockingbird/no-code-mattered-to-her-before-she-broke-it-but-it-came-crashing-down/) Harper Lee To Kill A Mockingbird > [hold your head high and keep those fists down - Atticus Finch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/hold-your-head-high-and-keep-those-fists-down-atticus-finch/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“My mother read it when she was a teenager," Henry said, picking a piece of lint off his lap. " To Kill a Mockingbird.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ophelia-london/my-mother-read-it-when-she-was-a-teenager-henry-said-picking-a-piece/) [Ophelia London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ophelia-london/) ## More by Rebecca Makkai > [“These were wise, modern children, and they knew: a mother could be a witch, a child could be a criminal. A librarian could be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-makkai/these-were-wise-modern-children-and-they-knew-a-mother-could-be-a/) [Rebecca Makkai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-makkai/) > [“Because what it's come down to, after that whole messy spring, that whole tortured summer, all the time since, is this: I no longer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-makkai/because-what-it-s-come-down-to-after-that-whole-messy-spring-that/) [Rebecca Makkai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-makkai/) > [“I might be the villain of this story.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-makkai/i-might-be-the-villain-of-this-story/) [Rebecca Makkai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-makkai/) > [“He started Number the Stars before we were even out of the store. "The only problem is, I already know how it ends," he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-makkai/he-started-number-the-stars-before-we-were-even-out-of-the-store-the/) [Rebecca Makkai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-makkai/) > [“So here, patient listener: your soothing epilogue. Imagine him happy. Imagine him spinning in circles... Imagine his heaven, where he can float through characters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-makkai/so-here-patient-listener-your-soothing-epilogue-imagine-him-happy/) [Rebecca Makkai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-makkai/) > [“And for what portion of human history had people even had desk jobs? Maybe the last four hundred years, out of four million? It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-makkai/and-for-what-portion-of-human-history-had-people-even-had-desk-jobs/) [Rebecca Makkai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-makkai/) > [“...all I knew were novels. It gave me pause, for a moment, that all my reference points were fiction, that all my narratives were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-makkai/all-i-knew-were-novels-it-gave-me-pause-for-a-moment-that-all-my/) [Rebecca Makkai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-makkai/) > [“I could put a book in his hands, but I couldn't take him by the ankles and dip him headfirst in another world. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-makkai/i-could-put-a-book-in-his-hands-but-i-couldn-t-take-him-by-the-ankles/) [Rebecca Makkai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-makkai/) > [“On my mental instant replay, I realized that obliquely comparing his family to the Nazis was maybe not my finest moment. He was quiet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-makkai/on-my-mental-instant-replay-i-realized-that-obliquely-comparing-his/) [Rebecca Makkai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-makkai/) > [“The whole damn century would've made more sense backwards. Where we ended is worse than where we began.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-makkai/the-whole-damn-century-would-ve-made-more-sense-backwards-where-we/) [Rebecca Makkai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-makkai/) > [“But here at Laurelfield, there was something more in the mornings, a buzzing sensation about the whole house, as if it weren't the servants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-makkai/but-here-at-laurelfield-there-was-something-more-in-the-mornings-a/) [Rebecca Makkai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-makkai/) > [“Very few writers thank their mothers for keen editorial insight; I'm happy to be the exception.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-makkai/very-few-writers-thank-their-mothers-for-keen-editorial-insight-i-m/) [Rebecca Makkai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-makkai/) > [“I believed that books might save him because I knew they had so far, and because I knew the people books had saved. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-makkai/i-believed-that-books-might-save-him-because-i-knew-they-had-so-far/) [Rebecca Makkai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-makkai/) > [“Like a good American, I wanted to sue somebody. But like a good librarian, I just sat at my desk and waited.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-makkai/like-a-good-american-i-wanted-to-sue-somebody-but-like-a-good/) [Rebecca Makkai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-makkai/) > [“I no longer believe I can save people. I've tried, and I've failed, and while I'm sure there are people out there in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-makkai/i-no-longer-believe-i-can-save-people-i-ve-tried-and-i-ve-failed-and/) [Rebecca Makkai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-makkai/) [Explore all 30 Rebecca Makkai quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-makkai/) ## 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 > [“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 > [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": "“Maybe that's why I prefer this new library to my own bedroom: looking at the million book spines, I can imagine a million alternate endings. It turned out the butler did it all, or I ended up marrying Mr. Darcy, or we went and watched a girl ride the merry-go-round in Central Park, or we beat on against the current in our little boats, or Atticus Finch was there when we woke up in the morning.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rebecca Makkai" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-makkai/maybe-that-s-why-i-prefer-this-new-library-to-my-own-bedroom-looking/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-makkai/maybe-that-s-why-i-prefer-this-new-library-to-my-own-bedroom-looking/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c02/rebecca-makkai-20617_books_maybe-that-s-why-i-prefer-this-new-libra_2195473.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c02/rebecca-makkai-20617_books_maybe-that-s-why-i-prefer-this-new-libra_2195473.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c02/rebecca-makkai-20617_books_maybe-that-s-why-i-prefer-this-new-libra_2195473.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Maybe that's why I prefer this new library to my own bedroom: looking at the million book spines, I can…” — Rebecca Makkai", "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": "Rebecca Makkai", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-makkai/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Maybe that's why I prefer this...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-makkai/maybe-that-s-why-i-prefer-this-new-library-to-my-own-bedroom-looking/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-makkai/maybe-that-s-why-i-prefer-this-new-library-to-my-own-bedroom-looking/#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 } } ] } ```