It seemed to be a necessary ritual that he should prepare himself for sleep by meditating under the solemnity of the night sky... a mysterious transaction between the infinity of the soul and the infinity of the universe.
Victor HugoRead
It is those books which a man possesses but does not read which constitute the most suspicious evidence against him.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Books that are owned but not read reflect poorly on a person's character.
Victor Hugo suggests that owning books signifies an intention to learn and grow, yet failing to engage with them implies a lack of curiosity or effort. The quote highlights the importance of not just possessing knowledge or resources but actively utilizing them for personal development.
Themes
BooksReadingEducationKnowledgeCuriosity
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on personal development, this quote can be used to emphasize the importance of actively engaging with educational materials.
More from Victor Hugo
All quotes βWhen two mouths, made sacred by love, draw near to each other to create, it is impossible, that above that ineffable kiss there should not be a thrill in the immense mystery of the stars.
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At that moment of love, a moment when passion is absolutely silent under omnipotence of ecstasy, Marius, pure seraphic Marius, would have been more capable of visiting a woman of the streets than of raising Cosetteβs dress above the ankle. Once on a moonlit night, Cosette stopped to pick up something from the ground, her dress loosened and revealed the swelling of her breasts. Marius averted his eyes.
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Thought is the work of the intellect, reverie is its self-indulgence. To substitute day-dreaming for thought is to confuse a poison with a source of nourishment.
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Taste is the common sense of genius.
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Forget not, never forget that you have promised me to use this silver to become an honest man.... Jean Valjean, my brother: you belong no longer to evil, but to good. It is your soul that I am buying for you. I withdraw it from dark thoughts and from the spirit of perdition, and I give it to God!
Victor HugoRead
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Now...in an abundant society where people have laptops, cell phones, ipods and minds like empty rooms, I still plod along with books.
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