A man's got to take a lot of punishment to write a really funny book.

A man's got to take a lot of punishment to write a really funny book.

We get no good
By being ungenerous, even to a book,
And calculating profits--so much help
read more

We get no good
By being ungenerous, even to a book,
And calculating profits--so much help
By so much reading. It is rather when
We gloriously forget ourselves, and plunge
Soul-forward, headlong, into a book's profound,
Impassioned for its beauty, and salt of truth--
'Tis then we get the right good from a book.

Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren't very new after all

Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren't very new after all

The profit of books is according to the sensibility of the reader. The profoundest thought or passion sleeps as in read more

The profit of books is according to the sensibility of the reader. The profoundest thought or passion sleeps as in a mine, until an equal mind and heart finds and publishes it.

Outside of a dog, a man's best friend is a book. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read.

Outside of a dog, a man's best friend is a book. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read.

That place that does contain
My books, the best companions, is to me
A glorious court, where read more

That place that does contain
My books, the best companions, is to me
A glorious court, where hourly I converse
With the old sages and philosophers;
And sometimes, for variety, I confer
With kings and emperors, and weigh their counsels;
Calling their victories, if unjustly got,
Unto a strict account, and, in my fancy,
Deface their ill-placed statues.

The covers of this book are too far apart.

The covers of this book are too far apart.

I heard his library burned down and both books were destroyed -- and one of them hadn't even been colored read more

I heard his library burned down and both books were destroyed -- and one of them hadn't even been colored in yet.

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

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