“In old days books were written by men of letters and read by the public. Nowadays books are written by the public and read by nobody.”

“If a book falls in the woods and nobody read it, was it ever written?”

“Books must be read as deliberately and reservedly as they were written.”

“A letter doesn't communicate by words alone. A letter, just like a book, can be read by smelling it, touching it and fondling it. Thereby, intelligent folk will say, 'Go on then, read what the letter tells you!' whereas the dull-witted will say, 'Go on then, read what he's written!”

“To read well, that is, to read true books in a true spirit, is a noble exercise, and one that will tax the reader more than any exercise which the customs of the day esteem. It requires a training such as the athletes underwent, the steady intention almost of the whole life to this object. Books must be read as deliberately and reservedly as they were written.”

“Someday I intend to read all those books I've written.”