The teacher is commodified, the school is a shop, the subjects are consumer goods. To read, to think, to reflect, isn't a question of want, it's a question of need.
Daniel PennacRead
We human beings build houses because we're alive but we write books because we're mortal. We live in groups because we're sociable but we read because we know we're alone. Reading offers a kind of companionship that takes no one's place but that no one can replace either. It offers no definitive explanation of our destiny but links us inextricably to life. Its tiny secret links remind us of how paradoxically happy we are to be alive while illuminating how tragically absurd life is.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the human condition, emphasizing the contrasting aspects of life like companionship and solitude found through reading.
Daniel Pennac's quote explores the dual nature of human existence, where we engage in communal activities such as building and socializing while also facing the inherent loneliness of life. Reading, as highlighted, serves as a unique form of companionship that acknowledges our mortality and the complexities of existence. It provides insights into our shared human experience, revealing both the joy and absurdity of life, ultimately celebrating the profound connection between literature and reality.
Themes
ReadingCompanionshipHuman ConditionSolitudeLifeMortality
In practice
Example use cases
During a book club discussion to highlight the importance of reading in our lives.
More from Daniel Pennac
All quotes βSimilar quotes
Challenging the integrity of the non-proliferation regime is a matter which can affect international peace and security.
Mohamed ElbaradeiRead
Grief, of course, is not something that operates according to a specific time frame, and it seems cold to suggest otherwise. Yet when we do not grasp that God is present in pain, we eventually insist on victory or, worse, blame the sufferer for not "getting over it" fast enough. This is more than a failure to extend compassion; it's an exercise in cruelty.
Tullian TchividjianRead
The only matter that could take Egypt to war again is water.
Anwar SadatRead
Feeling insignificant because the universe is large has exactly the same logic as feeling inadequate for not being a cow.
David DeutschRead
I know that I have lived because I have felt, and, feeling giving me the knowledge of my existence.
Giacomo CasanovaRead
Why does man not see things? He is himself standing in the way: he conceals things.
Friedrich NietzscheRead