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    Quotation... A writer expresses himself in words that have been used before because they give his meaning better than he can give it himself, or because they are beautiful or witty, or because he expects them to touch a cord of association in his reader, or because he wishes to show that he is learned and well read. Quotations due to the last motive are invariably ill-advised; the discerning reader detects it and is contemptuous; the undiscerning is perhaps impressed, but even then is at the same time repelled, pretentious quotations being the surest road to tedium.

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Criticism is a misconception: we must read not to understand others but to understand ourselves.

Criticism is a misconception: we must read not to understand others but to understand ourselves.

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To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism, to steal ideas from many is research.

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Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.

Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.

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I was allowed to ring the bell for five minutes until everyone was in assembly. It was the beginning of read more

I was allowed to ring the bell for five minutes until everyone was in assembly. It was the beginning of power.

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Quotes from Mao, Castro, and Che Guevara... are as germane to our highly technological, computerized society as a stagecoach on read more

Quotes from Mao, Castro, and Che Guevara... are as germane to our highly technological, computerized society as a stagecoach on a jet runway at Kennedy airport.

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Wear the old coat and buy the new book.

Wear the old coat and buy the new book.

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In America only the successful writer is important, in France all writers are important, in England no writer is important, read more

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No entertainment is so cheap as reading, nor any pleasure so lasting.

No entertainment is so cheap as reading, nor any pleasure so lasting.

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  14  /  18  

The surest way to make a monkey of a man is to quote him.

The surest way to make a monkey of a man is to quote him.

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