Reading Quote by Virginia Woolf
““When the Day of Judgment dawns and the great conquerers and lawyers and statesmen come to receive their rewards -- their crowns, their laurels, their names carved indelibly upon imperishable marble -- the Almighty will turn to Peter and will say, not without a certain envy when he sees us coming with our books under our arms, "Look, these need no reward. We have nothing to give them here. They have loved reading.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Book of the Dead, 1925
The passage satirically imagines divine judgment where literary devotion is valued over worldly achievements, highlighting the humility of scholars.
In simple terms: Even in divine judgment, love of reading is prized over power.
Key Takeaway
Value knowledge and humility over status.
Themes
literature
humility
spirituality
satire
knowledge
Mood
thoughtful
ironic
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- academic pursuits
- spiritual reflection
- creative writing
- public discourse
Key Concepts
theology
literary critique
ego
legacy
Questions to Reflect On
- What does true reward look like?
- How can scholars serve society?
A Different Perspective
May overlook the importance of tangible contributions.
![“Since I worked with Danny Boyle before on Slumdog Millionaire, we have great success and everything. So, when I first got the script and the screenplay of Simon (Beaufoy) and I was reading it, even before the shoot, some kind of sounds came into my mind and I put some stuff [down] and sent it to…” quote by A. R. Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/573/a-r-rahman-4481_cutting_since-i-worked-with-danny-boyle-before-o_539.jpg)
![“The young man [Turgot] destined for an ecclesiastical career was placed within walls carefully designed to keep out all currents of new thought; his studies, his reading, his professors, his associates, all were combined to keep from him any results of observation or reflection save those…” quote by Andrew Dickson White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5d4/andrew-dickson-white-24254_associates_the-young-man-turgot-destined-for-an-ecc_3146.jpg)