One book calls to another unexpectedly, creating alliances across different cultures and centuries. Alberto Manguel More Quotes by Alberto Manguel More Quotes From Alberto Manguel Digestion of words as well; I often read aloud to myself in my writing corner in the library, where no one can hear me, for the sake of better savouring the text, so as to make it all the more mine. Alberto Manguel library sake writing Evil requires no reason. Alberto Manguel no-reason evil reason Darkness promotes speech. Alberto Manguel speech darkness A writer stops writing the moment he or she puts the last full stop to their text, and at that point the book is in limbo and doesn't come to life until the reader picks it up and the reader flips the pages. Alberto Manguel pages writing book But a reader's ambition knows no bounds. Alberto Manguel reader ambition knows Our books will bear witness for or against us, our books reflect who we are and who we have been, our books hold the share of pages granted to us from the Book of Life. By the books we call ours we will be judged Alberto Manguel who-we-are pages book It used to be that readers were relegated because they considered themselves far above society, and so the metaphor of the ivory tower developed. Now there's still this idea that the reader doesn't take part in the social game and in politics, the res publica, but for other reasons: he doesn't do it because he's not making any money. Alberto Manguel ivory-tower games ideas From fire, water, the passage of time, neglectful readers, and the hand of the censor, each of my books has escaped to tell me its story. Alberto Manguel fire book hands We seem to live a culture that doesn't want blemishes. The vision of most beautiful models... airbrushed in order to be seen as perfect, infects our notion of how literature should be written. Alberto Manguel perfect beautiful order The readers who commited suicide after reading 'Werther' were not ideal but merely sentimental readers. Alberto Manguel sentimental reading suicide I know my time will come soon enough, but I will not dwell on it. What is the purpose? We might as well dwell on the work of our teeth or on the mechanics of our walk. It is there, it will always be there, and I don't intend to spend my glorious hours looking over my shoulder to see death's icy face. Alberto Manguel soon-enough teeth purpose Our society accepts the book as a given, but the act of reading -- once considered useful and important, as well as potentially dangerous and subversive -- is now condescendingly accepted as a pastime, a slow pastime that lacks efficiency and does not contribute to the common good. Alberto Manguel important reading book
