--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ... before parting that night we agreed…" description: "\"“... before parting that night we agreed that the objects of life were to produce good people and good books.”\" — Virginia Woolf" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9d/virginia-woolf-49_books_before-parting-that-night-we-agreed-that_1379378.jpg" --- # ... before parting that night we agreed that the objects… ![“... before parting that night we agreed that the objects of life were to produce good people and good books.” quote by Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9d/virginia-woolf-49_books_before-parting-that-night-we-agreed-that_1379378.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9d/virginia-woolf-49_books_before-parting-that-night-we-agreed-that_1379378.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9d/virginia-woolf-49_books_before-parting-that-night-we-agreed-that_1379378.jpg) > ““... before parting that night we agreed that the objects of life were to produce good people and good books.”” [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote suggests that the purpose of life is to nurture virtuous individuals and create lasting literary works. **In simple terms:** Life's goal: raise good people and write good books. Key Takeaway Focus on character and creativity. Themes purpose literature humanism education legacy Mood hopeful inspirational reflective Type literary philosophical motivational When to use this quote - parenting - teaching - writing - community building - mentorship Key Concepts ethical development artistic creation cultural impact Questions to Reflect On - What does "good" mean to you? - How can art shape moral character? A Different Perspective It may overlook other meaningful pursuits beyond people and books. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Good book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-book/) [Good books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-books/) [Good people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-people/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Night Agreed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night-agreed-3264819/) [Parting Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parting-night-4774606/) [People Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-good/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [“A joyful life is one filled with good people, good work and good books." – DK Raymer”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-k-raymer/a-joyful-life-is-one-filled-with-good-people-good-work-and-good-books/) [D.K. Raymer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-k-raymer/) > [“I've asked Sophia to stay for the night, and she has agreed." Stay? In the same house he was staying in? It had been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-ve-asked-sophia-to-stay-for-the-night-and-she-has-agreed-stay-in/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [What I tell myself is that there is never going to be another 'Gone Girl' for me. I mean, I really believe that. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/what-i-tell-myself-is-that-there-is-never-going-to-be-another-gone/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [“all good books are bad!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elinor-ostrom/all-good-books-are-bad/) [Elinor Ostrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elinor-ostrom/) > [You know, looking at it objectively, I've written one or two good books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/you-know-looking-at-it-objectively-i-ve-written-one-or-two-good-books/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [The modernness of all good books seems to give men an existence as wide as man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-modernness-of-all-good-books-seems-to-give-men-an-existence-as/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“One thing I will surely miss is that I couldn't read all the good books in this lifetime.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/one-thing-i-will-surely-miss-is-that-i-couldn-t-read-all-the-good/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [“In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mortimer-j-adler/in-the-case-of-good-books-the-point-is-not-to-see-how-many-of-them-2/) [Mortimer J. Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mortimer-j-adler/) > [“All good books are about everything, abbreviated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-smith/all-good-books-are-about-everything-abbreviated/) [Andrew Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-smith/) > [Give me good books, good conversations, and my Trek Y-Foil, and I shall want for nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-plimpton/give-me-good-books-good-conversations-and-my-trek-y-foil-and-i-shall/) [George Plimpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-plimpton/) > ['In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but how many can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-guzaldo/in-the-case-of-good-books-the-point-is-not-to-see-how-many-of-them/) [Andrew Guzaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-guzaldo/) > [“I like good books and clever conversation and being left alone much of the time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-milan/i-like-good-books-and-clever-conversation-and-being-left-alone-much/) [Courtney Milan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-milan/) > [There are only two kinds of books -- good books and the others. The good are winnowed from the bad through the democracy of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/there-are-only-two-kinds-of-books-good-books-and-the-others-the-good/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [Books, not which afford us a cowering enjoyment, but in which each thought is of unusual daring; such as an idle man cannot read,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/books-not-which-afford-us-a-cowering-enjoyment-but-in-which-each/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“There are so many good books waiting to be read, I’ll never go back and read one twice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-baker/there-are-so-many-good-books-waiting-to-be-read-i-ll-never-go-back/) [Deb Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-baker/) ## More by Virginia Woolf > [Fatigue is the safest sleeping draught.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/fatigue-is-the-safest-sleeping-draught/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“The train slows and lengthens, as we approach London, the centre, and my heart draws out too, in fear, in exaltation. 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It is a terrible age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/a-veil-of-insanity-everywhere-oh-why-i-was-born-in-this-age-it-is-a/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Love ought to stop on both sides, don’t you think, simultaneously?’ He spoke without any stress on the words, so as not to wake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/love-ought-to-stop-on-both-sides-don-t-you-think-simultaneously-he/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“It is so vast an alleviation to be able to point for another to look at. And then not to talk. To follow the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/it-is-so-vast-an-alleviation-to-be-able-to-point-for-another-to-look/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“What a vast fertility of pleasure books hold for me! (...) I think I could happily live here & read forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/what-a-vast-fertility-of-pleasure-books-hold-for-me-i-think-i-could/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“what a luxury to be alone once more,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/what-a-luxury-to-be-alone-once-more/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“...a woman writing thinks back through her mothers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/a-woman-writing-thinks-back-through-her-mothers/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“For one's children so often gave one's own perceptions a little thrust forwards.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/for-one-s-children-so-often-gave-one-s-own-perceptions-a-little/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“She would not say of anyone in the world now that they were this or were that. She felt very young; at the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/she-would-not-say-of-anyone-in-the-world-now-that-they-were-this-or/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) [Explore all 1,872 Virginia Woolf quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) ## 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. 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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": "“... before parting that night we agreed that the objects of life were to produce good people and good books.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Virginia Woolf" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/before-parting-that-night-we-agreed-that-the-objects-of-life-were-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/before-parting-that-night-we-agreed-that-the-objects-of-life-were-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9d/virginia-woolf-49_books_before-parting-that-night-we-agreed-that_1379378.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9d/virginia-woolf-49_books_before-parting-that-night-we-agreed-that_1379378.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9d/virginia-woolf-49_books_before-parting-that-night-we-agreed-that_1379378.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“... before parting that night we agreed that the objects of life were to produce good people and good books.” — Virginia Woolf", "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": "Virginia Woolf", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“... before parting that night we...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/before-parting-that-night-we-agreed-that-the-objects-of-life-were-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/before-parting-that-night-we-agreed-that-the-objects-of-life-were-to/#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 } } ] } ```