--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The reason why so few good books are…" description: "\"The reason why so few good books are written is, that so few people that can write know anything. In general an author has always lived in a room, has ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c79/walter-bagehot-3686_book_the-reason-why-so-few-good-books-are-wri_1792910.png" --- # The reason why so few good books are written is, that so… ![“The reason why so few good books are written is, that so few people that can write know anything. In general an author has always lived in a room, has read books, has cultivated science, is acquainted with the style and sentiments of the best authors, but he is out of the way of employing his own…” quote by Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c79/walter-bagehot-3686_book_the-reason-why-so-few-good-books-are-wri_1792910.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c79/walter-bagehot-3686_book_the-reason-why-so-few-good-books-are-wri_1792910.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c79/walter-bagehot-3686_book_the-reason-why-so-few-good-books-are-wri_1792910.png) > “The reason why so few good books are written is, that so few people that can write know anything. In general an author has always lived in a room, has read books, has cultivated science, is acquainted with the style and sentiments of the best authors, but he is out of the way of employing his own eyes and ears. He has nothing to hear and nothing to see. His life is a vacuum.” [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing requires lived experience and observation; isolated scholars lack the material to produce compelling work. **In simple terms:** Writers need real life experience. Key Takeaway Seek varied experiences. Themes knowledge experience authenticity Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - journalism - novel writing - historical analysis Key Concepts observational writing literary criticism Questions to Reflect On - What experiences enrich your writing? - How can isolation be turned into insight? A Different Perspective Too much experience can bias perspective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Good book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-book/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Sentiments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sentiments/) [Style](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/style/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [The reason why so few good books are written is that so few people who can write know anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/the-reason-why-so-few-good-books-are-written-is-that-so-few-people-2/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [The reason that there are so few good books written is that so few people who write know anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/the-reason-that-there-are-so-few-good-books-written-is-that-so-few/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [It is always a tense moment for an author to see how someone hasillustrated his or her story, because the author has lived for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-mora/it-is-always-a-tense-moment-for-an-author-to-see-how-someone/) [Pat Mora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-mora/) > [“Books, like men their authors, have no more than one way of coming into the world, but there are ten thousand to go out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/books-like-men-their-authors-have-no-more-than-one-way-of-coming-into/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [Beginning authors often get in their own way … They forget that they’ve been telling stories since they could talk. … The important thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-leitich-smith/beginning-authors-often-get-in-their-own-way-they-forget-that-they-ve/) [Cynthia Leitich Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-leitich-smith/) > [I have written much less than most people who write; I have drunk much more than most people who drink.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-debord/i-have-written-much-less-than-most-people-who-write-i-have-drunk-much/) [Guy Debord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-debord/) > [I can't complain that I've had a public all through my writing life, but people don't quite know what I've written. People don't read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/i-can-t-complain-that-i-ve-had-a-public-all-through-my-writing-life/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bible/neither-be-ye-idolaters-as-were-some-of-them-as-it-is-written-the/) [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bible/) > ['Glee' is produced with three people and written by three people. In my mind, I don't believe there's any other show on television that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-reilly/glee-is-produced-with-three-people-and-written-by-three-people-in-my/) [Kevin Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-reilly/) > [There have been plenty of things that I've written that other people haven't cared about, but it hasn't stopped me from being a writer.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-o-malley/there-have-been-plenty-of-things-that-i-ve-written-that-other-people/) [Mike O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-o-malley/) > [I've definitely written people e-mails telling them I've loved their stories, but that seems more like a professional journalist thing to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-stein/i-ve-definitely-written-people-e-mails-telling-them-i-ve-loved-their/) [Joel Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-stein/) > [There was a time when history was written by a few people, the winners. Now, history is written by all of us all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-mccormack/there-was-a-time-when-history-was-written-by-a-few-people-the-winners/) [Eric McCormack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-mccormack/) > [It is very annoying - things have been written by people who didn't know me at all or Princess Diana. They were written by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hasnat-khan/it-is-very-annoying-things-have-been-written-by-people-who-didn-t/) [Hasnat Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hasnat-khan/) > [Most science fiction seemed to be written for people who already liked science fiction; I wanted to write stories for anyone, anywhere, living at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/most-science-fiction-seemed-to-be-written-for-people-who-already/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [I think that if you look at all of the books that have ever been written about people working in the White House, they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyssa-mastromonaco/i-think-that-if-you-look-at-all-of-the-books-that-have-ever-been/) [Alyssa Mastromonaco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyssa-mastromonaco/) ## More by Walter Bagehot > [But of all nations in the world the English are perhaps the least a nation of pure philosophers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/but-of-all-nations-in-the-world-the-english-are-perhaps-the-least-a/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [The Sovereign has, under a constitutional monarchy such as ours, three rights - the right to be consulted, the right to encourage, the right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/the-sovereign-has-under-a-constitutional-monarchy-such-as-ours-three/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [The most essential mental quality for a free people, whose liberty is to be progressive, permanent and on a large scale, is much stupidity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/the-most-essential-mental-quality-for-a-free-people-whose-liberty-is/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [Adventure is the life of commerce, but caution is the life of banking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/adventure-is-the-life-of-commerce-but-caution-is-the-life-of-banking/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [A severe though not unfriendly critic of our institutions said that the cure for admiring the House of Lords was to go and look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/a-severe-though-not-unfriendly-critic-of-our-institutions-said-that/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [Nothing is more unpleasant than a virtuous person with a mean mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/nothing-is-more-unpleasant-than-a-virtuous-person-with-a-mean-mind/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [What impresses men is not mind, but the result of mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/what-impresses-men-is-not-mind-but-the-result-of-mind/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [An inability to stay quiet is one of the conspicuous failings of mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/an-inability-to-stay-quiet-is-one-of-the-conspicuous-failings-of/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [Most men of business think "Anyhow this system will probably last my time. It has gone on a long time, and is likely to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/most-men-of-business-think-anyhow-this-system-will-probably-last-my/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [Life is a school of probability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/life-is-a-school-of-probability/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [When great questions end, little parties begin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/when-great-questions-end-little-parties-begin/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [The peculiar essence of our banking system is an unprecedented trust between man and man. And when that trust is much weakened by hidden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/the-peculiar-essence-of-our-banking-system-is-an-unprecedented-trust/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [The habit of common and continuous speech is a symptom of mental deficiency. It proceeds from not knowing what is going on in other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/the-habit-of-common-and-continuous-speech-is-a-symptom-of-mental/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [Not only does a bureaucracy tend to under-government in point of quality; it tends to over-government in point of quantity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/not-only-does-a-bureaucracy-tend-to-under-government-in-point-of/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [In early times every sort of advantage tends to become a military advantage; such is the best way, then, to keep it alive. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/in-early-times-every-sort-of-advantage-tends-to-become-a-military/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) [Explore all 123 Walter Bagehot quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) ## 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! 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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": "The reason why so few good books are written is, that so few people that can write know anything. 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