“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.”

“Books are well written, or badly written. That is all.”

“The public is largely influenced by the look of a book. So are we all. It is the only artistic thing about the public.”

“I cannot choose one hundred best books because I have only written five”

“If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all.”

“Those who find ugly meanings in beautiful things are corrupt without being charming. This is a fault. Those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful things are the cultivated. For these there is hope. They are the elect to whom beautiful things mean only Beauty. There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. That is all.”

“Ah, on what little things does happiness depend! I have read all that the wise men have written, and all the secrets of philosophy are mine, yet for want of a red rose is my life made wretched.”