Thursday, January 26, 2012

Quote du jour/Mortimer Adler




In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you.
Mortimer J. Adler (1902-2001)

15 comments:

  1. How very, very true!! And good for my self-esteem, too - I don't think I have ever read so few books in my life than last year, ever since I learnt to read when I was 4 1/2 years old.

    ReplyDelete
  2. My feelings exactly, Nan. Excellent quote.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love this quote and agree wholeheartedly - and thanks so much again for the wonderful headers on your blog. Your farm and your photographs are endlessly interesting as well as beautiful

    ReplyDelete
  4. He sure had a clear way of putting things, didn't he? One of my favorites is, and I'm paraphrasing, "There is something out there that it is what is, regardless of what we think it is."

    ReplyDelete
  5. So true! What is the point if the book doesn't have an effect on the reader? I will always be grateful to Adler for his role in motivating me to read the classics.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Librarian, they really are good words.

    Cath, and mine!

    Thank you, Janice, and how very nice to see you!

    Lgraves, I'd like to read something by him. I don't think I ever have.

    Stacy, so good to see you! What book did you read? I saw one with a cute cover that I was interested in - How To Read A book.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Max, thanks for the information. I will check it out.

    Staci, and Jen, yes!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I appreciate reading this. People tend to be surprised to hear this, but I read relatively slowly. So when they ask me how many books I read in the past year, I know that whatever answer I give them will disappoint or seem lacking. But it isn't to me. What I do read I try my best to experience fully, even if I'm just plodding through it.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Isn't that the truth! Borrowing this for my sidebar. :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. I thought they were wonderful words, Les, and now I want to look into his work.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I have actually never read one of his books... only a book about him and how he helped to found and edit the Great Books of the Western World. My grandparents had a set that I did my first readings of the classics from and just the books themselves were such a comforting fixture from my childhood...so I am thankful for that little role he played in my reading life:)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Stacy, I've heard of the Great Books but never seen them. There was a group in town when I was in my twenties that used to meet and discuss them. I kind of wish I had been a part of that.

    ReplyDelete

I'll answer your comments as soon as I possibly can. Please do come back if you've asked a question.
Also, you may comment on any post, no matter how old, and I will see it.