--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If a secret history of books could be…" description: "\"If a secret history of books could be written, and the author's private thoughts and meanings noted down alongside of his story, how many insipid volum..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3e/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_books_if-a-secret-history-of-books-could-be-wr_186416.jpg" --- # If a secret history of books could be written, and the… ![“If a secret history of books could be written, and the author's private thoughts and meanings noted down alongside of his story, how many insipid volumes would become interesting, and dull tales excite the reader!” quote by William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3e/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_books_if-a-secret-history-of-books-could-be-wr_186416.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3e/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_books_if-a-secret-history-of-books-could-be-wr_186416.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3e/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_books_if-a-secret-history-of-books-could-be-wr_186416.jpg) > “If a secret history of books could be written, and the author's private thoughts and meanings noted down alongside of his story, how many insipid volumes would become interesting, and dull tales excite the reader!” [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. If we could see authors' hidden thoughts, many boring books would become fascinating, showing how context changes perception. **In simple terms:** Knowing an author's mind can make dull books interesting. Key Takeaway Seek deeper context to revive interest. Themes literature interpretation authorial intent perception engagement Mood curious analytical Type literary reflective When to use this quote - reading groups - academic study - creative writing - book reviews Key Concepts critical analysis psychology narrative theory Questions to Reflect On - How does authorial insight affect your reading? - When does context enrich versus distract? A Different Perspective Not all secrets enhance a story; some may diminish mystery. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Secret History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret-history/) [Storytelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storytelling/) [Tales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tales/) ## Related quotes > [I really like all of the characters in 'The Secret History' by Donna Tartt, especially Camilla, the one girl. I find her fascinating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-murray/i-really-like-all-of-the-characters-in-the-secret-history-by-donna/) [Hannah Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-murray/) > [I'd been assured, at age 21 or so, by a well-known editor who saw the first part of The Secret History in what was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/i-d-been-assured-at-age-21-or-so-by-a-well-known-editor-who-saw-the/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [Was never secret history but birds tell it in the bowers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/was-never-secret-history-but-birds-tell-it-in-the-bowers/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [But in the secret history of anger--one man's silence / lives in the bodies of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilya-kaminsky/but-in-the-secret-history-of-anger-one-man-s-silence-lives-in-the/) [Ilya Kaminsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilya-kaminsky/) > [As every one is pleased with imagining that he knows something not yet commonly divulged, secret history easily gains credit; but it is for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/as-every-one-is-pleased-with-imagining-that-he-knows-something-not/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each person’s life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rosen/if-we-could-read-the-secret-history-of-our-enemies-we-should-find-in-2/) [Mark Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rosen/) > [If we could read the secret history of our enemies we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/if-we-could-read-the-secret-history-of-our-enemies-we-should-find-in/) [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/) > [On a trip to Cabo San Lucas, I was obsessed with Donna Tartt's 'The Secret History.' We were staying at the Esperanza hotel doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ioan-gruffudd/on-a-trip-to-cabo-san-lucas-i-was-obsessed-with-donna-tartt-s-the/) [Ioan Gruffudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ioan-gruffudd/) > [“The dirty secret about history is how much of it is conjecture.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erika-swyler/the-dirty-secret-about-history-is-how-much-of-it-is-conjecture/) [Erika Swyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erika-swyler/) > [“There are few men who do not look back in secret to some period of their youth, at which a sincere and early affection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-walter-scott/there-are-few-men-who-do-not-look-back-in-secret-to-some-period-of/) [Sir Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sir-walter-scott/) > [“We try to hold on to the things we think will keep us safe and maintain that place we can point to an say,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-hartzler/we-try-to-hold-on-to-the-things-we-think-will-keep-us-safe-and/) [Aaron Hartzler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-hartzler/) > [If we could read the secret history of our enemies,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/if-we-could-read-the-secret-history-of-our-enemies/) [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/) > [“Many people in this room have an Etsy store where they create unique, unreplicable artifacts or useful items to be sold on a small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/many-people-in-this-room-have-an-etsy-store-where-they-create-unique/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [I collect old first and second World War artifacts and things. I'm a little secret history nerd. I've been lucky enough to do quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-irvine/i-collect-old-first-and-second-world-war-artifacts-and-things-i-m-a/) [Jeremy Irvine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-irvine/) > [“H. W. Longfellow, “If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man’s life sorrow and suffering enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ury/h-w-longfellow-if-we-could-read-the-secret-history-of-our-enemies-we/) [William Ury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ury/) ## More by William Makepeace Thackeray > [“To those great geniuses now in petticoats, who shall write novels for the beloved reader's children, these men and things will be as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/to-those-great-geniuses-now-in-petticoats-who-shall-write-novels-for/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [When one fib becomes due as it were, you must forge another to take up the old acceptance; and so the stock of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/when-one-fib-becomes-due-as-it-were-you-must-forge-another-to-take-up/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Let a man who has to make his fortune in life remember this maxim: Attacking is the only secret. Dare and the world yields,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/let-a-man-who-has-to-make-his-fortune-in-life-remember-this-maxim/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [As nature made every man with a nose and eyes of his own, she gave him a character of his own, too; and yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/as-nature-made-every-man-with-a-nose-and-eyes-of-his-own-she-gave-him/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [It is best to love wisely, no doubt; but to love foolishly is better than not to be able to love at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/it-is-best-to-love-wisely-no-doubt-but-to-love-foolishly-is-better/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Diffidence is a sort of false modesty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/diffidence-is-a-sort-of-false-modesty/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Our great thoughts, our great affections, the truths of our life, never leave us. Surely they can not separate from our consciousness, shall follow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/our-great-thoughts-our-great-affections-the-truths-of-our-life-never/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Charming Alnaschar visions! it is the happy privilege of youth to construct you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/charming-alnaschar-visions-it-is-the-happy-privilege-of-youth-to/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [To see a young couple loving each other is no wonder; but to see an old couple loving each other is the best sight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/to-see-a-young-couple-loving-each-other-is-no-wonder-but-to-see-an/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [An immense percentage of snobs, I believe, is to be found in every rank of this mortal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/an-immense-percentage-of-snobs-i-believe-is-to-be-found-in-every-rank/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Vanity is often the unseen spur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/vanity-is-often-the-unseen-spur/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [A good laugh is sunshine in the house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/a-good-laugh-is-sunshine-in-the-house/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Novelty has charms that our minds can hardly withstand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/novelty-has-charms-that-our-minds-can-hardly-withstand/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [“Picture to yourself, O fair young reader, a worldly, selfish, graceless, thankless, religionless old woman, writhing in pain and fear, and without her wig.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/picture-to-yourself-o-fair-young-reader-a-worldly-selfish-graceless/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Certain opuscules, denominated 'Christmas Books,' with the ostensible intention of swelling the tide of exhilaration, or other expansive emotions, incident upon the exodus of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/certain-opuscules-denominated-christmas-books-with-the-ostensible/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) [Explore all 384 William Makepeace Thackeray quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) ## 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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