Book Quote by William Lee Miller
“After I published a book called Lincoln's Virtues a wit said that my next book should be Lincoln's Vices. But in my opinion that would be a short book!”
About This Quote
Source Book: Lincoln's Virtues by William Lee Miller, 1975
The author jokes that focusing on Lincoln's flaws would be brief because his virtues dominate his legacy.
In simple terms: Highlighting flaws would be a short book.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the depth of character.
Themes
history
character
humor
Mood
witty
reflective
Type
observational
humorous
When to use this quote
- public speaking
- writing
- teaching
Key Concepts
legacy
biography
Questions to Reflect On
- What aspects of a person truly define them?
- How does humor affect historical perception?
A Different Perspective
A short book may oversimplify complex figures.
![“While writing this book [Lincoln in the Bardo], [idea of inclusion] occurred to me, you either believe in the Constitution or you don't. If you do, it's intense in what it wants of us.” quote by George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/367/george-saunders-317_believe_while-writing-this-book-lincoln-in-the-b_2048122.jpg)
![“What was fun for me with this book [Lincoln in the Bardo] was to start out with the principle that went, "We're going to fight every day to make this not a novel; make it too short to be a novel." And then with that principle in place, the book sort of starts to say, "Okay, but I really need this…” quote by George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/920/george-saunders-317_book_what-was-fun-for-me-with-this-book-linco_1985477.jpg)
