Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.

Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.

Ideally a book would have no order to it, and the reader would have to discover his own.

Ideally a book would have no order to it, and the reader would have to discover his own.

My test of a good novel is dreading to begin the last chapter.

My test of a good novel is dreading to begin the last chapter.

Old books that have ceased to be of service should no more be abandoned than should old friends who have read more

Old books that have ceased to be of service should no more be abandoned than should old friends who have ceased to give pleasure.

Books are the legacies that a great genius leaves to mankind,
which are delivered down from generation to generation, read more

Books are the legacies that a great genius leaves to mankind,
which are delivered down from generation to generation, as
presents to the posterity of those who are yet unborn.

Every man is a volume if you know how to read him.

Every man is a volume if you know how to read him.

The Bible remained for me a book of books, still divine -- but divine in the sense that all great read more

The Bible remained for me a book of books, still divine -- but divine in the sense that all great books are divine which teach men how to live righteously.

One can live with the thought of one's own death. It is the thought of the death of the words read more

One can live with the thought of one's own death. It is the thought of the death of the words and books that is terrifying for that is the deeper extinction.

My books are water; those of the great geniuses are wine -- everybody drinks water.

My books are water; those of the great geniuses are wine -- everybody drinks water.