--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm much more willing to buy a novel…" description: "\"I'm much more willing to buy a novel electronically by someone I don't know. Because if halfway through I think, I don't really like this, I can just s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c2/susan-orlean-2207_book_i-m-much-more-willing-to-buy-a-novel-ele_2780070.png" --- # I'm much more willing to buy a novel electronically by… ![“I'm much more willing to buy a novel electronically by someone I don't know. Because if halfway through I think, I don't really like this, I can just stop. I can't throw books out, even if I think they're crummy. I feel like I've got to give it to the library. I've got to loan it to somebody, or I…” quote by Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c2/susan-orlean-2207_book_i-m-much-more-willing-to-buy-a-novel-ele_2780070.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c2/susan-orlean-2207_book_i-m-much-more-willing-to-buy-a-novel-ele_2780070.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c2/susan-orlean-2207_book_i-m-much-more-willing-to-buy-a-novel-ele_2780070.png) > “I'm much more willing to buy a novel electronically by someone I don't know. Because if halfway through I think, I don't really like this, I can just stop. I can't throw books out, even if I think they're crummy. I feel like I've got to give it to the library. I've got to loan it to somebody, or I keep it on my shelf. It's like a plant.” [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Prefers digital novels because they can be stopped mid‑read, avoiding waste and allowing sharing. **In simple terms:** Digital books let you stop and share easily. Key Takeaway Embrace e‑books for flexibility. Themes digital reading flexibility sharing Mood convenient practical Type personal technological When to use this quote - library borrowing - e‑book subscriptions - reading apps - book clubs - personal libraries Key Concepts technology consumer behavior literature Questions to Reflect On - How does format affect your reading enjoyment? - What are the trade‑offs of digital vs. print? A Different Perspective May miss tactile experience of print. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Library](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/library/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Plant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plant/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [“She says I ought to throw out at least two books for every one I buy. I had new bookshelves put up in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-edwards/she-says-i-ought-to-throw-out-at-least-two-books-for-every-one-i-buy/) [Martin Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-edwards/) > [Throw down your books, you have nothing to lose except your grades.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/movie/throw-down-your-books-you-have-nothing-to-lose-except-your-grades/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/movie/) > [I can't throw books away. My wife is always telling me to get rid of some.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-macfadyen/i-can-t-throw-books-away-my-wife-is-always-telling-me-to-get-rid-of/) [Matthew Macfadyen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-macfadyen/) > [When I wonder what the future of books will be, I often think about horses. Before automobiles existed, everyone had a horse. Then cars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/when-i-wonder-what-the-future-of-books-will-be-i-often-think-about/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [About my books, that's all that I think the public has, in its normal way, to know. My private life is, by definition, private.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-o-brian/about-my-books-that-s-all-that-i-think-the-public-has-in-its-normal/) [Patrick O'Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-o-brian/) > [“books, i think, are a different kind of time machine. instead of reminding you of a lost world, they create one for you. more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-peart/books-i-think-are-a-different-kind-of-time-machine-instead-of/) [Neil Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-peart/) > [What do we, as a nation, care about books? How much do you think we spend altogether on our libraries, public or private, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/what-do-we-as-a-nation-care-about-books-how-much-do-you-think-we/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [I don't believe in children's books. I think after you've read Kidnapped, Treasure Island, and Huckleberry Finn, you're ready for anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/i-don-t-believe-in-children-s-books-i-think-after-you-ve-read/) [John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/) > [The books we think we ought to read are poky, dull, and dry The books that we would like to read we are ashamed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-wells/the-books-we-think-we-ought-to-read-are-poky-dull-and-dry-the-books/) [Carolyn Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-wells/) > [I'm trying to be less bombastic. I love my books. I think I've done things nobody else has done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellroy/i-m-trying-to-be-less-bombastic-i-love-my-books-i-think-i-ve-done/) [James Ellroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellroy/) > [“People think, Hey, I love kids, I want to write children’s books. But they think children are happy. That’s their first mistake. \[Messinger, Jonathan.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-willems/people-think-hey-i-love-kids-i-want-to-write-children-s-books-but/) [Mo Willems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-willems/) > [The computer is the way I'm making books, but I still think about the physical properties. I visualize the length of a book, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-lethem/the-computer-is-the-way-i-m-making-books-but-i-still-think-about-the/) [Jonathan Lethem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-lethem/) > [I was a very quiet kid who didn't feel normal being outgoing and running around, so all the beauty that was in my life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-sudol/i-was-a-very-quiet-kid-who-didn-t-feel-normal-being-outgoing-and/) [Alison Sudol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-sudol/) > [All good children's books, I think, address metaphysical issues in some kind of way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-michals/all-good-children-s-books-i-think-address-metaphysical-issues-in-some/) [Duane Michals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duane-michals/) > [“I just want to stay away from people and read books and think”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-just-want-to-stay-away-from-people-and-read-books-and-think/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## More by Susan Orlean > [I've used Twitter now and again to try to figure something out; it's an amazing resource. But I think you have to use it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-ve-used-twitter-now-and-again-to-try-to-figure-something-out-it-s/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [Who on earth is going to use 'utilize' in a text message, a whopping seven characters including the always-hard-to-type 'z,' when you can say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/who-on-earth-is-going-to-use-utilize-in-a-text-message-a-whopping/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [When my son was born, and after a day of lying-in I was told that I could leave the hospital and take him home,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/when-my-son-was-born-and-after-a-day-of-lying-in-i-was-told-that-i/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [I'm happy to be reminded that an ordinary day full of nothing but nothingness can make you feel like you've won the lottery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-m-happy-to-be-reminded-that-an-ordinary-day-full-of-nothing-but/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [I once had a boyfriend who couldn't write unless he was wearing a necktie and a dress shirt, which I thought was really weird,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-once-had-a-boyfriend-who-couldn-t-write-unless-he-was-wearing-a/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [“I, too, had set out to be remembered. I had wanted to create something permanent in my life- some proof that everything in its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-too-had-set-out-to-be-remembered-i-had-wanted-to-create-something/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [I think of myself as something of a connoisseur of procrastination, creative and dogged in my approach to not getting things done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-think-of-myself-as-something-of-a-connoisseur-of-procrastination/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [I'm very excited about my new Spotify account, which gives me access to twenty gazillion songs any time, all the time. The day I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-m-very-excited-about-my-new-spotify-account-which-gives-me-access/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [I approach stories as a private educational enterprise: I want to learn about something. I teach myself through research, reporting, and thinking, and then,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-approach-stories-as-a-private-educational-enterprise-i-want-to/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [We're fascinated by animals because it's almost like having Martians living among us. We can see some familiarity in them, but they're entirely different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/we-re-fascinated-by-animals-because-it-s-almost-like-having-martians/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [My inspiration is really very simple: I'm struck by things that I want to know more about. I really do react just as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/my-inspiration-is-really-very-simple-i-m-struck-by-things-that-i-want/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [I am dismayed to realize that much of the advice I used to parcel out to aspiring writers has passed its sell-by date.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-am-dismayed-to-realize-that-much-of-the-advice-i-used-to-parcel-out/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [I wish I had coined the phrase 'tyranny of choice,' but someone beat me to it. The counterintuitive truth is that have an abundance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-wish-i-had-coined-the-phrase-tyranny-of-choice-but-someone-beat-me/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [My ace in the hole as a human being used to be my capacity for remembering birthdays. I worked at it. Whenever I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/my-ace-in-the-hole-as-a-human-being-used-to-be-my-capacity-for/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [Sometimes I think I've figured out some order in the universe, but then I find myself in Florida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/sometimes-i-think-i-ve-figured-out-some-order-in-the-universe-but/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) [Explore all 179 Susan Orlean quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) ## 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": "I'm much more willing to buy a novel electronically by someone I don't know. Because if halfway through I think, I don't really like this, I can just stop. I can't throw books out, even if I think they're crummy. I feel like I've got to give it to the library. I've got to loan it to somebody, or I keep it on my shelf. It's like a plant.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Susan Orlean" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-m-much-more-willing-to-buy-a-novel-electronically-by-someone-i-don/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-m-much-more-willing-to-buy-a-novel-electronically-by-someone-i-don/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c2/susan-orlean-2207_book_i-m-much-more-willing-to-buy-a-novel-ele_2780070.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c2/susan-orlean-2207_book_i-m-much-more-willing-to-buy-a-novel-ele_2780070.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c2/susan-orlean-2207_book_i-m-much-more-willing-to-buy-a-novel-ele_2780070.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'm much more willing to buy a novel electronically by someone I don't know. Because if halfway through I…” — Susan Orlean", "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": "Susan Orlean", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'm much more willing to buy...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-m-much-more-willing-to-buy-a-novel-electronically-by-someone-i-don/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-m-much-more-willing-to-buy-a-novel-electronically-by-someone-i-don/#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 } } ] } ```