---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You have to store up books, becoming…"
description: "\"“You have to store up books, becoming acquainted with human experience; let them lie around your thoughts, becoming yours—ring upon ring, as a tree gro..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a9/viktor-shklovsky-68439_book-lovers_you-have-to-store-up-books-becoming-acqu_1453686.jpg"
---

#  You have to store up books, becoming acquainted with human…

![“You have to store up books, becoming acquainted with human experience; let them lie around your thoughts, becoming yours—ring upon ring, as a tree grows, let them rise up from the depths like coral islands. If it gets crowded with all the books and there's nowhere to put your bed, it's better to…” quote by Viktor Shklovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a9/viktor-shklovsky-68439_book-lovers_you-have-to-store-up-books-becoming-acqu_1453686.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a9/viktor-shklovsky-68439_book-lovers_you-have-to-store-up-books-becoming-acqu_1453686.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a9/viktor-shklovsky-68439_book-lovers_you-have-to-store-up-books-becoming-acqu_1453686.jpg)

> ““You have to store up books, becoming acquainted with human experience; let them lie around your thoughts, becoming yours—ring upon ring, as a tree grows, let them rise up from the depths like coral islands. If it gets crowded with all the books and there's nowhere to put your bed, it's better to exchange it for a folding bed””

Viktor Shklovsky

## About This Quote

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

Reading stores experiences like books in the mind, building layers of knowledge that become part of us; when overwhelmed, simplify by shedding excess.

**In simple terms:** Books become mental foundations; simplify when overloaded.

Key Takeaway

Curate knowledge, discard excess.

Themes

learning memory literature mental health

Mood

contemplative introspective

Type

philosophical educational

When to use this quote

- studying
- creative writing
- mindfulness practices

Key Concepts

cognitive load knowledge management personal growth

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you decide which ideas to keep?
- What methods help you declutter mental space?

A Different Perspective

Too much information can clutter thinking.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Book-lovers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-lovers/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Human experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-experience/) [Trees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trees/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/)

## Related quotes

> [“I hate lending, or borrowing—if you want me to read a book, tell me about it, or buy me a copy outright. Your loaned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-price/i-hate-lending-or-borrowing-if-you-want-me-to-read-a-book-tell-me/)

[Leah Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-price/)

> [As great a store Have we of books as bees of herbs or more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-vaughan/as-great-a-store-have-we-of-books-as-bees-of-herbs-or-more/)

[Henry Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-vaughan/)

> [“It's time for bed. And here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to get in bed, and I don't have anyone to sleep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholson-baker/it-s-time-for-bed-and-here-s-what-i-m-going-to-do-i-m-going-to-get-in/)

[Nicholson Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholson-baker/)

> [“I have always kept a stack of library books next to my bed as a lifeline. If I ever woke in the middle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-halpern/i-have-always-kept-a-stack-of-library-books-next-to-my-bed-as-a/)

[Julie Halpern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-halpern/)

> [I've got a stack of the 'Walking Dead' comic books next to my bed here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-dean-morgan/i-ve-got-a-stack-of-the-walking-dead-comic-books-next-to-my-bed-here/)

[Jeffrey Dean Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-dean-morgan/)

> [“Never mix books and bed. In the spectrum of excitement, sex &amp; thought were on opposite ends. Both to be enjoyed, but never at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-caldwell-and-dustin-thomason/never-mix-books-and-bed-in-the-spectrum-of-excitement-sex-thought/)

Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason

> [“The books beside my bed are like the expensive, and suspiciously unsullied, pair of running shoes in the cupboard: an aspiration, and a symbol…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lloyd-parry/the-books-beside-my-bed-are-like-the-expensive-and-suspiciously/)

[Richard Lloyd Parry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lloyd-parry/)

> [I love coloring books. I keep some by my bed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-black/i-love-coloring-books-i-keep-some-by-my-bed/)

[Karen Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-black/)

> [I have Black guys who tell me they put my books on their bed stands to read at night like something for guidance or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishmael-reed/i-have-black-guys-who-tell-me-they-put-my-books-on-their-bed-stands/)

[Ishmael Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishmael-reed/)

## More by Viktor Shklovsky

> [“Art makes the familiar strange so that it can be freshly perceived. To do this it presents its material in unexpected, even outlandish ways:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-shklovsky/art-makes-the-familiar-strange-so-that-it-can-be-freshly-perceived-to/)

Viktor Shklovsky

> [“Misfortune of this kind comes to many. Life is well ordered, like a nécessaire, but not all of us can find our places in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-shklovsky/misfortune-of-this-kind-comes-to-many-life-is-well-ordered-like-a-n/)

Viktor Shklovsky

> [“And art exists that one may recover the sensation of life; it exists to make one feel things, to make the stone stony.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-shklovsky/and-art-exists-that-one-may-recover-the-sensation-of-life-it-exists/)

Viktor Shklovsky

Explore all 4 Viktor Shklovsky quotes

## More Book-lovers quotes

> [“The truth is heavier than a sword.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naiyem-chowdhury-rony/the-truth-is-heavier-than-a-sword/)

[Naiyem Chowdhury Rony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naiyem-chowdhury-rony/)

> [“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/)

> [“Book Bans Are Dumb (Sonnet 1587) Book bans are dumb, It makes the mind numb. If banning books were justice, Middle ages would've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/book-bans-are-dumb-sonnet-1587-book-bans-are-dumb-it-makes-the-mind/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [“Time flies but books are timeless...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nanette-l-avery/time-flies-but-books-are-timeless/)

[Nanette L. Avery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nanette-l-avery/)

> [“Those that spend the greater part of their time in reading or writing books are, of course, apt to take rather particular notice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-r-james-2/those-that-spend-the-greater-part-of-their-time-in-reading-or-writing/)

[M.R. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-r-james-2/)

> [“Only a book is enough to change the course of your life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aman-jassal/only-a-book-is-enough-to-change-the-course-of-your-life/)

[Aman Jassal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aman-jassal/)

> [“I am a passionate reader. New interested books keep adding on my reading list. My wildest dream is to complete reading all the books.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/i-am-a-passionate-reader-new-interested-books-keep-adding-on-my/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [“Reading a SoHo restaurant review in the New York Times for me is like reading Fifty Shades of Gravy. By the end of it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-lee/reading-a-soho-restaurant-review-in-the-new-york-times-for-me-is-like/)

Kim Lee

> [“Without moving, you walk through lands you imagine you can see, and your thoughts, weaving in and out of the story, delight in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/without-moving-you-walk-through-lands-you-imagine-you-can-see-and/)

[Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/)

> [“She sighed and looked at him sympathetically. 'Cool flame tricks aside, there's no competition.' He lifted his eyebrow. 'Library wins?' 'Every single time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-hunter/she-sighed-and-looked-at-him-sympathetically-cool-flame-tricks-aside/)

[Elizabeth Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-hunter/)

> [“I sentimenti si imprimono nei luoghi dove li abbiamo vissuti.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-vescera/i-sentimenti-si-imprimono-nei-luoghi-dove-li-abbiamo-vissuti/)

Vanessa Vescera

> [“Reality doesn’t always give us the life that we desire, but we can always find what we desire between the pages of books.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adelise-m-cullens/reality-doesn-t-always-give-us-the-life-that-we-desire-but-we-can/)

Adelise M. Cullens

> [“He was a far more voracious reader than me, but he made it a rule to never touch a book by any author who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/he-was-a-far-more-voracious-reader-than-me-but-he-made-it-a-rule-to/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [“There’s a vast underground network for goodness at work in this world—a web of people who’ve put reading at the center of their lives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/there-s-a-vast-underground-network-for-goodness-at-work-in-this-world/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [“That's right I am a book kisser. Maybe that's kind of perverted or maybe it's just romantic and highly intelligent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/that-s-right-i-am-a-book-kisser-maybe-that-s-kind-of-perverted-or/)

[Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/)

[Browse all 118 Book-lovers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-lovers/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“You have to store up books, becoming acquainted with human experience; let them lie around your thoughts, becoming yours—ring upon ring, as a tree grows, let them rise up from the depths like coral islands. If it gets crowded with all the books and there's nowhere to put your bed, it's better to exchange it for a folding bed”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Viktor Shklovsky"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-shklovsky/you-have-to-store-up-books-becoming-acquainted-with-human-experience/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Book-lovers"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-shklovsky/you-have-to-store-up-books-becoming-acquainted-with-human-experience/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a9/viktor-shklovsky-68439_book-lovers_you-have-to-store-up-books-becoming-acqu_1453686.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a9/viktor-shklovsky-68439_book-lovers_you-have-to-store-up-books-becoming-acqu_1453686.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a9/viktor-shklovsky-68439_book-lovers_you-have-to-store-up-books-becoming-acqu_1453686.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“You have to store up books, becoming acquainted with human experience; let them lie around your thoughts…” — Viktor Shklovsky",
                "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": "Viktor Shklovsky",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-shklovsky/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“You have to store up books,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-shklovsky/you-have-to-store-up-books-becoming-acquainted-with-human-experience/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-shklovsky/you-have-to-store-up-books-becoming-acquainted-with-human-experience/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
