---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think literature is somehow both a…"
description: "\"I think literature is somehow both a fantasy and a reality we should all get back to.\" — Shane Warren Jones"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dc/shane-warren-jones-49552_books_i-think-literature-is-somehow-both-a-fan_142434.jpg"
---

#  I think literature is somehow both a fantasy and a reality…

![“I think literature is somehow both a fantasy and a reality we should all get back to.” quote by Shane Warren Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dc/shane-warren-jones-49552_books_i-think-literature-is-somehow-both-a-fan_142434.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dc/shane-warren-jones-49552_books_i-think-literature-is-somehow-both-a-fan_142434.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dc/shane-warren-jones-49552_books_i-think-literature-is-somehow-both-a-fan_142434.jpg)

> “I think literature is somehow both a fantasy and a reality we should all get back to.”

[Shane Warren Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-warren-jones/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Literature serves as both an imaginative escape and a reflection of reality, urging a return to its dual nature.

**In simple terms:** Books are fantasy and reality together.

Key Takeaway

Engage with literature to explore imagination and truth.

Themes

art fantasy reality

Mood

inspired thoughtful

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- reading
- creative writing
- education

Key Concepts

narrative reflection escape

Questions to Reflect On

- How does a story blend imagination and truth?
- What reality do you seek in fiction?

A Different Perspective

Overemphasis on one aspect may limit appreciation.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Fantasy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantasy/) [Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/)

## Related quotes

> [“They seek neither truth nor likelihood; they seek astonishment. They think metaphysics is a branch of the literature of fantasy”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/they-seek-neither-truth-nor-likelihood-they-seek-astonishment-they/)

[Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/)

> [I saw literature as a fantasy, no less absorbing for all its irrelevance - a parallel life, as dreams shadow waking but never intersect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/i-saw-literature-as-a-fantasy-no-less-absorbing-for-all-its/)

[Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/)

> [Science fiction is the ugly stepchild of mainstream literature, and fantasy is the ugly stepchild of science fiction, and tie-in novels are the ugly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-salvatore-2/science-fiction-is-the-ugly-stepchild-of-mainstream-literature-and/)

[R. A. Salvatore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-salvatore-2/)

> [I don't think if you're serious about literature your library is filled with award-winning books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-wylie/i-don-t-think-if-you-re-serious-about-literature-your-library-is/)

[Andrew Wylie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-wylie/)

> [Women's books are kind of discriminated against. If a man writes a book about his family stories, people think of it as literature. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/women-s-books-are-kind-of-discriminated-against-if-a-man-writes-a/)

[Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/)

> [The writer’s job is to write with rigor, with commitment, to defend what they believe with all the talent they have. I think that’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-vargas-llosa/the-writer-s-job-is-to-write-with-rigor-with-commitment-to-defend/)

[Mario Vargas Llosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-vargas-llosa/)

> [I often like to think that our map of the world is wrong, that where we have centered physics, we should actually place literature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/i-often-like-to-think-that-our-map-of-the-world-is-wrong-that-where/)

[Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/)

> [It seems to me that literature is giving way a little bit to the immediacy of other diversions, other forms of entertainment. What will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-salter/it-seems-to-me-that-literature-is-giving-way-a-little-bit-to-the/)

[James Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-salter/)

> [I don't really think in terms of the future of literature. I think literature will be around "forever" - but in a relatively niche…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-antosca/i-don-t-really-think-in-terms-of-the-future-of-literature-i-think/)

[Nick Antosca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-antosca/)

> [We think literature is immortal, but even that decays and ultimately turns to dust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-farren/we-think-literature-is-immortal-but-even-that-decays-and-ultimately/)

[Mick Farren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-farren/)

> [“She still craved the fantasy while reality was busy sinking in its sharp teeth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/belle-malory/she-still-craved-the-fantasy-while-reality-was-busy-sinking-in-its/)

Belle Malory

> [“It is easy to confuse a fantasy for a reality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duop-chak-wuol/it-is-easy-to-confuse-a-fantasy-for-a-reality/)

Duop Chak Wuol

> [“You don’t think that literature can be a reflection of real life?” “Sure it can. But, like I said, Mr. Darcy isn’t a reflection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-boyd/you-don-t-think-that-literature-can-be-a-reflection-of-real-life-sure/)

[Christina Boyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-boyd/)

> [“Mine is not an obedient writing. I think that literature as any art has to be irreverent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinaldo-arenas/mine-is-not-an-obedient-writing-i-think-that-literature-as-any-art/)

[Reinaldo Arenas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinaldo-arenas/)

> [I think that literature is something that embraces a much larger experience than politics. It's an expression of what is life, of what are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-vargas-llosa/i-think-that-literature-is-something-that-embraces-a-much-larger/)

[Mario Vargas Llosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-vargas-llosa/)

## More by Shane Warren Jones

> [I like horses. My grandfather had a horse named Whiskey and I got to ride it all the time. They are terrifying and beautiful.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-warren-jones/i-like-horses-my-grandfather-had-a-horse-named-whiskey-and-i-got-to/)

[Shane Warren Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-warren-jones/)

> [A book is basically just symbols arranged to form this story, this world. But on the other hand, books, novels, literature in general, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-warren-jones/a-book-is-basically-just-symbols-arranged-to-form-this-story-this/)

[Shane Warren Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-warren-jones/)

> [Adults trying to protect children from reality, right? And adults always trying to fill children with fantasy - the tooth fairy, Santa, make-believe games,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-warren-jones/adults-trying-to-protect-children-from-reality-right-and-adults/)

[Shane Warren Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-warren-jones/)

> [I'm a white guy listening to the Cure and thinking about Pynchon influences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-warren-jones/i-m-a-white-guy-listening-to-the-cure-and-thinking-about-pynchon/)

[Shane Warren Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-warren-jones/)

> [Death is terrifying and beautiful, a final thing we can all do together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-warren-jones/death-is-terrifying-and-beautiful-a-final-thing-we-can-all-do-together/)

[Shane Warren Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-warren-jones/)

> [The more we get away from believing and studying literature, the worst we become, the more we lose our soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-warren-jones/the-more-we-get-away-from-believing-and-studying-literature-the-worst/)

[Shane Warren Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-warren-jones/)

[Explore all 7 Shane Warren Jones quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-warren-jones/)

## 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": "I think literature is somehow both a fantasy and a reality we should all get back to.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Shane Warren Jones"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-warren-jones/i-think-literature-is-somehow-both-a-fantasy-and-a-reality-we-should/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Books"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-warren-jones/i-think-literature-is-somehow-both-a-fantasy-and-a-reality-we-should/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dc/shane-warren-jones-49552_books_i-think-literature-is-somehow-both-a-fan_142434.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dc/shane-warren-jones-49552_books_i-think-literature-is-somehow-both-a-fan_142434.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dc/shane-warren-jones-49552_books_i-think-literature-is-somehow-both-a-fan_142434.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I think literature is somehow both a fantasy and a reality we should all get back to.” — Shane Warren Jones",
                "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": "Shane Warren Jones",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-warren-jones/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I think literature is somehow both...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-warren-jones/i-think-literature-is-somehow-both-a-fantasy-and-a-reality-we-should/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-warren-jones/i-think-literature-is-somehow-both-a-fantasy-and-a-reality-we-should/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
