--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She had pronounced the words “New Books”…" description: "\"“She had pronounced the words “New Books” with caution and regret, articulating them reluctantly, as if they were vulgar, even obscene words. As I list..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/163/ric-emmanuel-schmitt-7234_books_she-had-pronounced-the-words-new-books-w_338610.jpg" --- # She had pronounced the words “New Books” with caution and… ![“She had pronounced the words “New Books” with caution and regret, articulating them reluctantly, as if they were vulgar, even obscene words. As I listened to her, I realised that that it was indeed a commercial term, used to designate an item in fashion, but inappropriate to define a literary…” quote by Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/163/ric-emmanuel-schmitt-7234_books_she-had-pronounced-the-words-new-books-w_338610.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/163/ric-emmanuel-schmitt-7234_books_she-had-pronounced-the-words-new-books-w_338610.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/163/ric-emmanuel-schmitt-7234_books_she-had-pronounced-the-words-new-books-w_338610.jpg) > ““She had pronounced the words “New Books” with caution and regret, articulating them reluctantly, as if they were vulgar, even obscene words. As I listened to her, I realised that that it was indeed a commercial term, used to designate an item in fashion, but inappropriate to define a literary work; I also realised that to her eyes I was nothing but an author of ‘New Books’ a supplier in a way. “But novels by Daudet or Maupassant - weren’t they ‘New Books’ when they came out?” I asked. “Time has given them their place”, she replied, as though I had just said something insolent.”” [Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ric-emmanuel-schmitt/) ## 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 confronts the label “New Books” as a commercial, dismissive term, challenging the speaker between market categories and literary value. **In simple terms:** “New Books” feels like a shallow, market‑driven label. Key Takeaway Resist reducing art to mere market categories. Themes literature commercialism identity Mood critical contemplative Type theatrical philosophical When to use this quote - book publishing - author branding - literary criticism Key Concepts cultural criticism semantic labeling Questions to Reflect On - What defines a “new” work? - How do market terms shape artistic perception? A Different Perspective Labels can limit appreciation of timeless works. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ## Related quotes > [“Now she had words to dull her senses. English words, a new name, and covering it all like a warm blanket, a new life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paullina-simons/now-she-had-words-to-dull-her-senses-english-words-a-new-name-and/) [Paullina Simons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paullina-simons/) > [“He was bellowing a great many words that were new to Mosca and sounded quite interesting. 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Ehrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-d-ehrman/) > [“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/) > [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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Atunci e vinovat si de casatorie. Cum se poate merge in fata unui primar sau a unui preot pentru a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ric-emmanuel-schmitt/e-vinovat-de-adulter-atunci-e-vinovat-si-de-casatorie-cum-se-poate/) [Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ric-emmanuel-schmitt/) > [“Women are pleasing because they come to us wrapped in the catkin of an enigma and they cease to please when they lose their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ric-emmanuel-schmitt/women-are-pleasing-because-they-come-to-us-wrapped-in-the-catkin-of/) [Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ric-emmanuel-schmitt/) > [ “Momo: \[reading Ibrahim's will\] This is my will and testament. I, Ibrahim Demirdji, hereby leave all my goods to Moses Schmitt, my son Momo… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ric-emmanuel-schmitt/momo-reading-ibrahim-s-will-this-is-my-will-and-testament-i-ibrahim/) [Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ric-emmanuel-schmitt/) > [I am not married anymore. 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If he was, I'd have made the character more flattering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ric-emmanuel-schmitt/balthazar-balsan-is-not-a-self-portrait-if-he-was-i-d-have-made-the/) [Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ric-emmanuel-schmitt/) > [“La souffrance physique on la subit, la souffrance morale on la choisit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ric-emmanuel-schmitt/la-souffrance-physique-on-la-subit-la-souffrance-morale-on-la-choisit/) [Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ric-emmanuel-schmitt/) > [“Szczęście, którego wyczekujemy, potrafi zburzyć to, które właśnie przeżywamy”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ric-emmanuel-schmitt/szcz-cie-kt-rego-wyczekujemy-potrafi-zburzy-to-kt-re-w-a-nie-prze/) [Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ric-emmanuel-schmitt/) > [“No, you're mistaken. 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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": "“She had pronounced the words “New Books” with caution and regret, articulating them reluctantly, as if they were vulgar, even obscene words. As I listened to her, I realised that that it was indeed a commercial term, used to designate an item in fashion, but inappropriate to define a literary work; I also realised that to her eyes I was nothing but an author of ‘New Books’ a supplier in a way. “But novels by Daudet or Maupassant - weren’t they ‘New Books’ when they came out?” I asked. “Time has given them their place”, she replied, as though I had just said something insolent.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ric-emmanuel-schmitt/she-had-pronounced-the-words-new-books-with-caution-and-regret/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ric-emmanuel-schmitt/she-had-pronounced-the-words-new-books-with-caution-and-regret/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/163/ric-emmanuel-schmitt-7234_books_she-had-pronounced-the-words-new-books-w_338610.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/163/ric-emmanuel-schmitt-7234_books_she-had-pronounced-the-words-new-books-w_338610.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/163/ric-emmanuel-schmitt-7234_books_she-had-pronounced-the-words-new-books-w_338610.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“She had pronounced the words “New Books” with caution and regret, articulating them reluctantly, as if they…” — Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt", "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": "Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ric-emmanuel-schmitt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“She had pronounced the words “New...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ric-emmanuel-schmitt/she-had-pronounced-the-words-new-books-with-caution-and-regret/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ric-emmanuel-schmitt/she-had-pronounced-the-words-new-books-with-caution-and-regret/#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 } } ] } ```