A book has got smell. A new book smells great. An old book smells even better. An old book smells like ancient Egypt.
Interpretation
This quote expresses the unique sensory experience of books, highlighting their connection to history and nostalgia.
Ray Bradbury's quote emphasizes the sensory attraction of books, specifically their smell, which connects readers not only to the joy of new books but also to the richness of history represented in old ones. The reference to 'ancient Egypt' symbolizes the profound wisdom and stories contained within the pages of well-loved books, evoking a sense of timelessness and depth that transcends mere words.
In practice
During a book club meeting, quoting this to highlight the beauty of exploring old literature.
I've written about 2,000 short stories; I've only published 300 and I feel I'm still learning. Any man who keeps working is not a failure. He may not be a great writer, but if he applies the old fashioned virtues of hard, constant labor, he'll eventually make some kind of career for himself as a writer. Ray Bradbury, 1967 interview (Doing the Math - that means for every story he sold, he wrote six "un-publishable" ones. Keep typing!)
I never went to college, so I went to the library.
There must be something in books, something we canβt imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You donβt stay for nothing.
I think the sun is a flower, That blooms for just one hour.
The first thing a writer should be is - excited. He should be a thing of fevers and enthusiasms. Without such vigor, he might as well be out picking peaches or digging ditches; God knows it'd be better for his health.
You can't try to do things; you simply must do them.
No person who is not a great sculptor or painter can be an architect. If he is not a sculptor or painter, he can only be a builder.
Creativity is a process more often than it is an event.
The kinds of truth that art gives us many, many times are small truths. They don't have the resonance of an encyclical from the Pope stating an eternal truth, but they partake of the quality of eternity. There is a sort of timeless delight in them.
Dance is just like film in that it allows for thoughts in movement.
I passionately hate the idea of being with it; I think an artist has always to be out of step with his time.
Cookery is a wholly unselfish art: as 'art for art's sake' it is unthinkable. A man may sing in his bath every morning without the least encouragement, but no cook can cook just for his or her own sake in a like manner. All good cooks, like all great artists, must have an audience worth cooking for.
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