“The books and magazines streamed in. He could buy them all, they piled up around him and even while he read, the number of those still to be read disturbed him. … they stood in rows, weighing down his life like a possession which he did not succeed in subordinating to his personality.”
Analysis of Quote:
In this quote from Thomas Mann, the author explores the overwhelming nature of possessing too many books and magazines. The imagery of the books streaming in and piling up around the character conveys a sense of suffocation and burden. The mention of the unread books disturbing him while he reads highlights the anxiety and pressure that comes with having an excessive amount of reading material. The comparison of the books to a possession that he cannot control or integrate into his own personality suggests that the character is struggling to find a balance between his love of reading and the weight of his material possessions. Overall, this quote reflects on the potential pitfalls of consuming too much information without being able to fully digest or internalize it.
Modern Relevance
In today's digital age where information is constantly flowing from various sources, Thomas Mann's quote about being overwhelmed by a never-ending stream of books and magazines still holds true. The feeling of being weighed down by the sheer volume of content that needs to be consumed is a common experience for many people, reflecting the struggle to balance the influx of information with personal priorities and identity.
Overwhelmed by Possessions
"The books and magazines streamed in. He could buy them all, they piled up around him, and even while he read, the number of those still to be read disturbed him. ... they stood in rows, weighing down his life like a possession which he did not succeed in subordinating to his personality." - Thomas Mann
Reflection Questions:
As we ponder on the words of Thomas Mann, we are prompted to reflect on our own relationship with possessions and consumption. Consider the following questions as you think about the impact of material possessions on your life:
- How do material possessions, such as books and magazines, affect your sense of identity and self-worth?
- Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the amount of items in your possession, like the protagonist in this excerpt?
- In what ways do you try to control or limit the accumulation of possessions in your life?
- How can you strike a balance between enjoying the things you own and feeling burdened by them?
Similar quotes
“For all the books in his possession, he still failed to read the stories written plain as day in the faces of the people around him.”
“The thought of these vast stacks of books would drive him mad: the more he read, the less he seemed to know — the greater the number of the books he read, the greater the immense uncountable number of those which he could never read would seem to be…. The thought that other books were waiting for him tore at his heart forever.”
“Once in a while, though, he went on binges. He would sneak into bookstores or libraries, lurk around the racks where the little magazines were kept; sometimes he'd buy one. Dead poets were his business, living ones his vice. Much of the stuff he read was crap and he knew it; still, it gave him an odd lift. Then there would be the occasional real poem, and he would catch his breath. Nothing else could drop him through space like that, then catch him; nothing else could peel him open.”
“Sometimes, immersed in his books, there would come to him the awareness of all that he did not know, of all that he had not read; and the serenity for which he labored was shattered as he realized the little time he had in life to read so much, to learn what he had to know.”
“But his son hated him. He hated him for coming up to them, for stopping and looking down on them; he hated him for interrupting them; he hated him for the exaltation and sublimity of his gestures; for the magnificence of his head; for his exactingness and egotism (for there he stood, commanding then to attend to him); but most of all he hated the twang and twitter of his father's emotion which, vibrating round them, disturbed the perfect simplicity and good sense of his relations with his mother. By looking fixedly at the page, he hoped to make him move on; by pointing his finger at a word, he hoped to recall his mother's attention, which, he knew angrily, wavered instantly his father stopped. But, no. Nothing would make Mr. Ramsay move on. There he stood, demanding sympathy. ”