--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Literature should not be exclusive, it…" description: "\"Literature should not be exclusive, it should be inclusive. My general view is that you can't, based on your own experience, project what a book will d..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed8/richard-ford-2097_book_literature-should-not-be-exclusive-it-sh_2337156.png" --- # Literature should not be exclusive, it should be… ![“Literature should not be exclusive, it should be inclusive. My general view is that you can't, based on your own experience, project what a book will do for someone else. That's why I don't review books.” quote by Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed8/richard-ford-2097_book_literature-should-not-be-exclusive-it-sh_2337156.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed8/richard-ford-2097_book_literature-should-not-be-exclusive-it-sh_2337156.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed8/richard-ford-2097_book_literature-should-not-be-exclusive-it-sh_2337156.png) > “Literature should not be exclusive, it should be inclusive. My general view is that you can't, based on your own experience, project what a book will do for someone else. That's why I don't review books.” [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Literature must be accessible to all, not limited by personal bias or exclusive standards. **In simple terms:** Books should welcome everyone. Key Takeaway Create inclusive reading spaces. Themes inclusion literature bias accessibility Mood thoughtful encouraging Type reflective inspirational When to use this quote - book clubs - library programs - author talks - educational curricula Key Concepts Reader empathy cultural humility open criticism Questions to Reflect On - How can you broaden your reading recommendations? - What barriers prevent people from accessing literature? A Different Perspective Excluding personal experience may overlook valuable perspectives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Exclusive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exclusive/) [Exclusive Inclusive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exclusive-inclusive-249071/) [Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature/) [Literature Exclusive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature-exclusive-5644023/) [Projects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/projects/) [Review](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/review/) [Review Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/review-books-723026/) [Reviews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reviews/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Views](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/views/) ## Related quotes > [“It’s just as easy to be exclusive as it is to be inclusive, just as easy to create an Us as a Them. Benji…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fredrik-backman/it-s-just-as-easy-to-be-exclusive-as-it-is-to-be-inclusive-just-as/) [Fredrik Backman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fredrik-backman/) > [It's not exclusive, but inclusive, which is the whole spirit of jazz.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbie-hancock/it-s-not-exclusive-but-inclusive-which-is-the-whole-spirit-of-jazz/) [Herbie Hancock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbie-hancock/) > [The day you don't mess with somebody, that would be exclusive rather than inclusive. I strive to be inclusive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralphie-may/the-day-you-don-t-mess-with-somebody-that-would-be-exclusive-rather/) [Ralphie May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralphie-may/) > [I've never yet read a review of one of my own books that I couldn't have written much better myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/i-ve-never-yet-read-a-review-of-one-of-my-own-books-that-i-couldn-t/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [I'd actually really love to review books and films and plays, but you can't be an artist and a critic. I would love it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romola-garai/i-d-actually-really-love-to-review-books-and-films-and-plays-but-you/) [Romola Garai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romola-garai/) > [Nowadays, I only review books I really like. It's cowardly, I know, but I figure it's not my job to make people unhappy. I'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-rosoff/nowadays-i-only-review-books-i-really-like-it-s-cowardly-i-know-but-i/) [Meg Rosoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-rosoff/) > [“I might also say, regarding reviews and reviewers, that I have yet to read a review of any of my own books which I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/i-might-also-say-regarding-reviews-and-reviewers-that-i-have-yet-to/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [I don't want to review books any more. It cuts in too much on my reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/i-don-t-want-to-review-books-any-more-it-cuts-in-too-much-on-my/) [Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) > [ Here's the thing: Authors live or die by recommendations. \[That's one of the reason I review so many books on Goodreads.\] Giving books you… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/here-s-the-thing-authors-live-or-die-by-recommendations-that-s-one-of/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“My patriotism is both exclusive and inclusive. It is exclusive in the sense that in all humility I confine my attention to the land…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/my-patriotism-is-both-exclusive-and-inclusive-it-is-exclusive-in-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“human societies always define themselves by their narrowest possible interests.That they are exclusive not inclusive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-shepherd/human-societies-always-define-themselves-by-their-narrowest-possible/) [Joel Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-shepherd/) > [Since I got a really bad review when I was, like, 28 in 'The New York Times,' I don't read reviews anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-peet/since-i-got-a-really-bad-review-when-i-was-like-28-in-the-new-york/) [Amanda Peet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-peet/) > [I read every single review, because I love film criticism and I'm interested.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-lynskey/i-read-every-single-review-because-i-love-film-criticism-and-i-m/) [Melanie Lynskey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-lynskey/) > [It's my policy not to review funerals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-m-homes/it-s-my-policy-not-to-review-funerals/) [A.M. Homes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-m-homes/) > [On mobile, what are the core apps? It's basically messaging, mapping and review data.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-stoppelman/on-mobile-what-are-the-core-apps-it-s-basically-messaging-mapping-and/) [Jeremy Stoppelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stoppelman/) ## More by Richard Ford > [Something will be there when the flood recedes. We know that. It will be those people now standing in the water, and on those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/something-will-be-there-when-the-flood-recedes-we-know-that-it-will/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [If you lose all hope, you can always find it again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/if-you-lose-all-hope-you-can-always-find-it-again/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [I started reading literature at 17 or 18, and I felt this extra beat to life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/i-started-reading-literature-at-17-or-18-and-i-felt-this-extra-beat/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [I don't hate children. My wife and I just didn't think we would be good parents, and also by the time we got married…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/i-don-t-hate-children-my-wife-and-i-just-didn-t-think-we-would-be/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [Writing never came naturally and I still have to force my hand to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/writing-never-came-naturally-and-i-still-have-to-force-my-hand-to-do/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [“Conversations with adults other than a person's parents had more of an outcome.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/conversations-with-adults-other-than-a-person-s-parents-had-more-of/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [Some people want to be bank presidents. Other people want to rob banks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/some-people-want-to-be-bank-presidents-other-people-want-to-rob-banks/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [In order to write novels for a living - it's not pathological, but I do think and worry and brood and fidget about stuff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/in-order-to-write-novels-for-a-living-it-s-not-pathological-but-i-do/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [There are more people in America that love guns and want guns for themselves and everyone else than there are not. It is also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/there-are-more-people-in-america-that-love-guns-and-want-guns-for/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [That said, being dyslexic, I wasn't a great reader when I was kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/that-said-being-dyslexic-i-wasn-t-a-great-reader-when-i-was-kid/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [I'm an equal opportunity reader - although I don't much read plays. And since I was raised a Presbyterian, pretty much all pleasures are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/i-m-an-equal-opportunity-reader-although-i-don-t-much-read-plays-and/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [The pace of life feels morally dangerous to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/the-pace-of-life-feels-morally-dangerous-to-me/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [“to sit in the empty stands of a Florida ball park and hear the sounds of glove leather and chatter;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/to-sit-in-the-empty-stands-of-a-florida-ball-park-and-hear-the-sounds/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [“And what there is to learn from almost any human experience is that your own interests usually do not come first where other people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/and-what-there-is-to-learn-from-almost-any-human-experience-is-that/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [“It was on such a night as this that the unhappy things came about.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/it-was-on-such-a-night-as-this-that-the-unhappy-things-came-about/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) [Explore all 184 Richard Ford quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) ## More Book 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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Literature should not be exclusive, it should be inclusive. 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