Reading Quotes | Beyond Motive

top of page

Reading Quotes

"If I don't get the goose-bump factor when I'm reading it than I can't do it."

"If I don't get the goose-bump factor when I'm reading it than I can't do it."

Russell Crowe, Australian Actor

147

"My countrymen have the right to shake my hand and talk to me if they so wish. Don't forget that their support and their reading of my works is what brought me the Nobel prize."

"My countrymen have the right to shake my hand and talk to me if they so wish. Don't forget that their support and their reading of my works is what brought me the Nobel prize."

Naguib Mahfouz, Egyptian Novelist

Reading, Forget, Right, Support

141

"I enjoyed reading as a child."

"I enjoyed reading as a child."

Goh C. Tong, Singaporean Businessman

113

"I, personally, have found reading a continual support to writing."

"I, personally, have found reading a continual support to writing."

Margaret Mahy, New Zealander Author

Reading, Support, Writing, Newzealander

111

"A reading man and woman is a ready man and woman, but a writing man and woman is exact."

"A reading man and woman is a ready man and woman, but a writing man and woman is exact."

Marcus Garvey, Jamaican Publisher

Reading, Man, Woman, Writing

109

"But by reading them again and again finally I was able to grasp the essential part. What emotion, enthusiasm, enlightenment and confidence they communicated to me! I wept for joy."

"But by reading them again and again finally I was able to grasp the essential part. What emotion, enthusiasm, enlightenment and confidence they communicated to me! I wept for joy."

Ho Chi Minh, Vietnamese Revolutionary

Reading, Enthusiasm, Confidence, Emotion, Joy

108

"When I decided to take writing seriously, I did a lot of reading and analyzing of the books I liked, and came up with what I thought were pretty sound plotting and structure basics."

"When I decided to take writing seriously, I did a lot of reading and analyzing of the books I liked, and came up with what I thought were pretty sound plotting and structure basics."

George Stephen, Canadian Businessman

Reading, Thought, Books, Pretty

105

"One performs a very different act when reading a movie and when reading a novel. Your attention behaves differently."

"One performs a very different act when reading a movie and when reading a novel. Your attention behaves differently."

Manuel Puig, Argentinian Author

Reading, Act, Attention

99

"Being a librarian certainly helped me with my writing because it made me even more of a reader, and I was always an enthusiastic reader. Writing and reading seem to me to be different aspects of a single imaginative act."

"Being a librarian certainly helped me with my writing because it made me even more of a reader, and I was always an enthusiastic reader. Writing and reading seem to me to be different aspects of a single imaginative act."

Margaret Mahy, New Zealander Author

Reading, Act, Being, Writing

86

"When you are reading, someone has done a lot of work on your behalf, someone has had ideas and has then written and corrected and improved them so that they can be shared."

"When you are reading, someone has done a lot of work on your behalf, someone has had ideas and has then written and corrected and improved them so that they can be shared."

Margaret Mahy, New Zealander Author

Reading, Work, Ideas, Newzealander

84

"The books that help you most are those which make you think that most. The hardest way of learning is that of easy reading; but a great book that comes from a great thinker is a ship of thought, deep freighted with truth and beauty."

"The books that help you most are those which make you think that most. The hardest way of learning is that of easy reading; but a great book that comes from a great thinker is a ship of thought, deep freighted with truth and beauty."

Pablo Neruda, Chilean Writer

Reading, Beauty, Truth, Thought, Books

84

"One can never read too little of bad, or too much of good books: bad books are intellectual poison; they destroy the mind.In order to read what is good one must make it a condition never to read what is bad; for life is short, and both time and strength limited."

"One can never read too little of bad, or too much of good books: bad books are intellectual poison; they destroy the mind.In order to read what is good one must make it a condition never to read what is bad; for life is short, and both time and strength limited."

Arthur Schopenhauer, German Philosopher

Reading, Books, Time, Poison, Intellect

81

"In reading the lives of great men, I found that the first victory they won was over themselves... self-discipline with all of them came first."

"In reading the lives of great men, I found that the first victory they won was over themselves... self-discipline with all of them came first."

Harry S. Truman, American President

Reading, Men, Victory, First

71

"He didn't say that. He was reading what was given to him in a speech."

"He didn't say that. He was reading what was given to him in a speech."

Richard Darman, American Economist

Reading, Speech

60

"It's good to know how to read, but it's dangerous to know how to read and not how to interpret what you're reading."

"It's good to know how to read, but it's dangerous to know how to read and not how to interpret what you're reading."

Mike Tyson, American Athlete

58

"I am not opposed to the limited use of polygraphs in a case where a person is suspected of wrongdoing. But widespread use of the polygraph as a screening tool goes far beyond what is acceptable."

"I am not opposed to the limited use of polygraphs in a case where a person is suspected of wrongdoing. But widespread use of the polygraph as a screening tool goes far beyond what is acceptable."

Jeff Bingaman, American Politician

55

"Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man."

"Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man."

Francis Bacon, English Philosopher

Reading, Man, Writing

54

"I do not think that life has any joy to offer so complete, so soul-filling as that which comes upon the imaginative lad, whose spare time is limited, but who is able to snuggle down into a corner with his book, knowing that the next hour is all his own. And how vivid and fresh it all is!"

"I do not think that life has any joy to offer so complete, so soul-filling as that which comes upon the imaginative lad, whose spare time is limited, but who is able to snuggle down into a corner with his book, knowing that the next hour is all his own. And how vivid and fresh it all is!"

Arthur Conan Doyle, British Writer

Reading, Joy, Imagination, Books, Youth

54

"Any book which is at all important should be re-read immediately."

"Any book which is at all important should be re-read immediately."

Arthur Schopenhauer, German Philosopher

Reading, Books, Repetition, Learning

54

"We never stop reading, although every book comes to an end, just as we never stop living, although death is certain."

"We never stop reading, although every book comes to an end, just as we never stop living, although death is certain."

Roberto Bolano, Chilean Novelist

Reading, Death, End, Living

51

"I have never known any distress that an hour's reading did not relieve."

"I have never known any distress that an hour's reading did not relieve."

Charles de Montesquieu, French Philosopher

51

"The simultaneous reactions elicited all over the world by the reading of newspaper dispatches about the same events create, as it were, a common mental pulse beat for the whole of civilized mankind."

"The simultaneous reactions elicited all over the world by the reading of newspaper dispatches about the same events create, as it were, a common mental pulse beat for the whole of civilized mankind."

Christian Lous Lange, Norwegian Politician

Reading, Events, Mankind, World

50

"What I do believe is that there is always a relationship between writing and reading, a constant interplay between the writer on the one hand and the reader on the other."

"What I do believe is that there is always a relationship between writing and reading, a constant interplay between the writer on the one hand and the reader on the other."

Guillermo Cabrera Infante, Cuban Novelist

Reading, Writer, Writing

49

"Reading is a discount ticket to everywhere."

"Reading is a discount ticket to everywhere."

Mary Schmich, American Journalist

47

"It's just a matter of writing the kind of book I enjoy reading. Something better be happening at the beginning, and then on every page after, or I get irritated."

"It's just a matter of writing the kind of book I enjoy reading. Something better be happening at the beginning, and then on every page after, or I get irritated."

Jonathan Franzen, American Novelist

Reading, Beginning, Writing

47

"Rereading, we find a new book."

"Rereading, we find a new book."

Mason Cooley, American Writer

47

"When I was a teenager, I read a lot of Poe."

"When I was a teenager, I read a lot of Poe."

Dario Argento, Italian Director

45

"When you are already in Detroit, you don't have to take a bus to get there."

"When you are already in Detroit, you don't have to take a bus to get there."

Ram Dass, American Psychologist

45

"Alternative cartoonists have to rely on comic book stores to get their stuff in the hands of readers."

"Alternative cartoonists have to rely on comic book stores to get their stuff in the hands of readers."

Jim Woodring, American Artist

45

"Game management is accomplished by staying constantly alert and then reading and reacting to potential problem situations before they materialize. It all boils down to paying attention to details."

"Game management is accomplished by staying constantly alert and then reading and reacting to potential problem situations before they materialize. It all boils down to paying attention to details."

Jim Evans, American Athlete

Reading, Management, Attention, Potential

45

"If anybody reads a story in a magazine or book, different pictures compete in their minds."

"If anybody reads a story in a magazine or book, different pictures compete in their minds."

Vincente Minnelli, American Director

44

"One must be a wise reader to quote wisely and well."

"One must be a wise reader to quote wisely and well."

Amos Bronson Alcott, American Educator

44

"You hit somebody with your fist and not with your fingers spread."

"You hit somebody with your fist and not with your fingers spread."

Heinz Guderian, German Soldier

44

"I enjoyed reading all the classic authors like Isaac Asimov and Bradbury."

"I enjoyed reading all the classic authors like Isaac Asimov and Bradbury."

William Shatner, Canadian Actor

43

"If you're not ready for everything, you're not ready for anything."

"If you're not ready for everything, you're not ready for anything."

Paul Auster, American Author

43

"In Australia, not reading poetry is the national pastime."

"In Australia, not reading poetry is the national pastime."

Phyllis McGinley, American Author

Reading, Poetry

42

"I find it's impossible for me to read Proust."

"I find it's impossible for me to read Proust."

Norman MacCaig, Scottish Poet

42

"And it's impossible for me to read Henry James."

"And it's impossible for me to read Henry James."

Norman MacCaig, Scottish Poet

41

"Sit down and read. Educate yourself for the coming conflicts."

"Sit down and read. Educate yourself for the coming conflicts."

Mary Harris Jones, American Activist

40

"All I know for certain is that reading is of the most intense importance to me; if I were not able to read, to revisit old favorites and experiment with names new to me, I would be starved - probably too starved to go on writing myself."

"All I know for certain is that reading is of the most intense importance to me; if I were not able to read, to revisit old favorites and experiment with names new to me, I would be starved - probably too starved to go on writing myself."

Penelope Lively, English Author

Reading, Importance, Names, Old

40

"Some of the material out there - I don't want to say that it's all bad - but there's a lot of bad stuff out there. You just continue reading scripts, and eventually you find something you connect with."

"Some of the material out there - I don't want to say that it's all bad - but there's a lot of bad stuff out there. You just continue reading scripts, and eventually you find something you connect with."

Jay Hernandez, American Actor

40

"The decision to write in prose instead of poetry is made more by the readers than by writers. Almost no one is interested in reading narrative in verse."

"The decision to write in prose instead of poetry is made more by the readers than by writers. Almost no one is interested in reading narrative in verse."

Robert Morgan, American Soldier

Reading, Poetry, Decision, Prose

40

"The solutions all are simple - after you have arrived at them. But they're simple only when you know already what they are."

"The solutions all are simple - after you have arrived at them. But they're simple only when you know already what they are."

Robert M. Pirsig, American Philosopher

40

"Writing in English is the most ingenious torture ever devised for sins committed in previous lives. The English reading public explains the reason why."

"Writing in English is the most ingenious torture ever devised for sins committed in previous lives. The English reading public explains the reason why."

James Joyce, Irish Novelist

Reading, English, Public, Reason

40

"Easy reading is damn hard writing."

"Easy reading is damn hard writing."

Nathaniel Hawthorne, American Novelist

Reading, Writing

39

"Nothing more rapidly inclines a person to go into a monastery than reading a book on etiquette. There are so many trivial ways in which it is possible to commit some social sin."

"Nothing more rapidly inclines a person to go into a monastery than reading a book on etiquette. There are so many trivial ways in which it is possible to commit some social sin."

Quentin Crisp, English Writer

Reading, Etiquette, Nothing, Sin

39

"In '93 to '94, every browser had its own flavor of HTML. So it was very difficult to know what you could put in a Web page and reliably have most of your readership see it."

"In '93 to '94, every browser had its own flavor of HTML. So it was very difficult to know what you could put in a Web page and reliably have most of your readership see it."

Tim Berners Lee, English Inventor

39

"I've never know any trouble than an hour's reading didn't assuage."

"I've never know any trouble than an hour's reading didn't assuage."

Arthur Schopenhauer, German Philosopher

Reading, Trouble

39

"From reading too much, and sleeping too little, his brain dried up on him and he lost his judgment."

"From reading too much, and sleeping too little, his brain dried up on him and he lost his judgment."

Miguel de Cervantes, Spanish Novelist

Reading, Judgment

38

"I'd be interested to read Gull's paper on it, and I wish Alan would put it in somewhere. It gives him a relevance to our times, which he doesn't otherwise have. Gull, I mean, not Alan."

"I'd be interested to read Gull's paper on it, and I wish Alan would put it in somewhere. It gives him a relevance to our times, which he doesn't otherwise have. Gull, I mean, not Alan."

Eddie Campbell, Scottish Artist

38

bottom of page