--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Cambridge was a joy. Tediously. People…" description: "\"Cambridge was a joy. Tediously. People reading books in a posh place. It was my fantasy. I loved it. I miss it still.\" — Zadie Smith" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b4/zadie-smith-584_book_cambridge-was-a-joy-tediously-people-rea_3038011.png" --- # Cambridge was a joy. Tediously. People reading books in a… ![“Cambridge was a joy. Tediously. People reading books in a posh place. It was my fantasy. I loved it. I miss it still.” quote by Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b4/zadie-smith-584_book_cambridge-was-a-joy-tediously-people-rea_3038011.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b4/zadie-smith-584_book_cambridge-was-a-joy-tediously-people-rea_3038011.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b4/zadie-smith-584_book_cambridge-was-a-joy-tediously-people-rea_3038011.png) > “Cambridge was a joy. Tediously. People reading books in a posh place. It was my fantasy. I loved it. I miss it still.” [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Cambridge represents an idealized intellectual haven, reflecting longing for scholarly community. **In simple terms:** Idealized places inspire longing. Key Takeaway Cherish intellectual communities. Themes nostalgia academia longing Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - academic conferences - book clubs - study groups - writing retreats Key Concepts sociology education place attachment Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of scholarly life truly appeal to you? - How can you create a supportive intellectual environment? A Different Perspective Idealization may overlook practical challenges. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Books Posh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books-posh-4994154/) [Cambridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cambridge/) [Cambridge Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cambridge-joy-4994153/) [Fantasy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantasy/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Loved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loved/) [Miss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/miss/) [Missing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/missing/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/place/) [Posh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/posh/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Reading books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading-books/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) ## Related quotes > [ Dirac politely refused Robert's \[Robert Oppenheimer\] two proffered books: reading books, the Cambridge theoretician announced gravely, "interfered with thought." ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-walter-alvarez/dirac-politely-refused-robert-s-robert-oppenheimer-two-proffered/) [Luis Walter Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-walter-alvarez/) > [“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/) > [Our kids haven't any airs about them. I don't like posh kids who don't like dirty dolls or expect a chauffeur every time they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-mccartney/our-kids-haven-t-any-airs-about-them-i-don-t-like-posh-kids-who-don-t/) [Linda McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-mccartney/) > [Posh was my favorite Spice Girl but she didn't have that many lines to sing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saara-aalto/posh-was-my-favorite-spice-girl-but-she-didn-t-have-that-many-lines/) [Saara Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saara-aalto/) > [When I first left drama school, I was too posh for the working-class parts and not posh enough for the upper-class roles. You know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-chaplin/when-i-first-left-drama-school-i-was-too-posh-for-the-working-class/) [Ben Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-chaplin/) > [I do speak well as I went to a posh school. But I come from no real breeding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcintyre/i-do-speak-well-as-i-went-to-a-posh-school-but-i-come-from-no-real/) [Michael McIntyre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcintyre/) > [“Pandora opened the box with the new high-heels, put them on and went out to town.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ljupka-cvetanova/pandora-opened-the-box-with-the-new-high-heels-put-them-on-and-went/) [Ljupka Cvetanova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ljupka-cvetanova/) > [I'm finding a lot of actors my age now who are a bit more like me, and not as posh or brought up in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaya-scodelario/i-m-finding-a-lot-of-actors-my-age-now-who-are-a-bit-more-like-me-and/) [Kaya Scodelario](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaya-scodelario/) > [I've known white Australian girls from wealthy families who were sent to posh private schools, who knew all of that stuff, and I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justine-larbalestier/i-ve-known-white-australian-girls-from-wealthy-families-who-were-sent/) [Justine Larbalestier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justine-larbalestier/) > [I can't wait until I'm able to afford really posh bags.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-roach/i-can-t-wait-until-i-m-able-to-afford-really-posh-bags/) [Alexandra Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-roach/) > [At the other end of the spectrum, George Gideon Oliver King Rameses Osborne, the fourteen-year-old novelty Chancellor and future baronet of Ballentaylor and Ballylemon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-brooker/at-the-other-end-of-the-spectrum-george-gideon-oliver-king-rameses/) [Charlie Brooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-brooker/) > [I have friends who are in the posh category and some who are in the not-at-all-posh category, and some who you would find it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jools-holland/i-have-friends-who-are-in-the-posh-category-and-some-who-are-in-the/) [Jools Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jools-holland/) > [I was obsessed with the Spice Girls! I always wanted to be Sporty. Or Posh, but I wasn't pretty enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-j/i-was-obsessed-with-the-spice-girls-i-always-wanted-to-be-sporty-or/) [Jessie J](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-j/) > [I went to a posh school but I'm not a posh person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-james/i-went-to-a-posh-school-but-i-m-not-a-posh-person/) [Geraldine James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-james/) > [My mum's from Yorkshire and my parents aren't snotty or posh - they're very hard workers, both of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-phillips/my-mum-s-from-yorkshire-and-my-parents-aren-t-snotty-or-posh-they-re/) [Sally Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-phillips/) ## More by Zadie Smith > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. 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I don't like them around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/i-don-t-keep-any-copies-of-my-books-in-the-house-they-go-to-my-mum-s/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [But it makes an immigrant laugh to hear the fears of the nationalist, scared of infection, penetration, miscegenation, when this is small fry, peanuts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/but-it-makes-an-immigrant-laugh-to-hear-the-fears-of-the-nationalist/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [Oh, I know that. You know me, baby, I cannot be broken. Takes a giant to snap me in half.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/oh-i-know-that-you-know-me-baby-i-cannot-be-broken-takes-a-giant-to/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [“In short, it was precisely the kind of friendship and Englishman makes on holiday, that he can make only on holiday. 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