Books

'From our human experience and history, at least as far as I am informed, I know that everything essential and great has only emerged when human beings had a home and were rooted in a tradition. Today's literature is, for instance, largely destructive.' Heidegger, interviewed by Der Spiegel in 1966 (yes, I know he joined the Nazi Party)


'In some way, great books wait for you, biding their time until the moment you are ready for them.' Douglas Murray in Unherd yesterday


'But isn't it really time you handed over those tiresome petty duties to someone else and shut yourself up with your books in the peace and comfort of your retreat? This is what should be both business and pleasure, work and recreation, and should occupy your thoughts awake and asleep!' Pliny the Younger, Letters 1.3.3 (to Caninius Rufus; translated
by Betty Radice). I studied Pliny the Younger for O Level, but was taught the useless Cambridge Latin Course and therefore, despite getting an A at A Level, cannot read him or any other Latin without a crib and not well even then.

'I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.' Jorge Luis Borges

'If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.' Haruki Murakami, in his novel 'Norwegian Wood'

'You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.' Madeleine L'Engle

'If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.' Toni Morrison