Standards are always out of date. That's what makes them standards.
Alan BennettRead
Above literature?' said the Queen. 'Who is above literature? You might as well say one was above humanity.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that literature is a fundamental aspect of human experience, comparable to humanity itself.
Alan Bennett's quote emphasizes the intrinsic value of literature in relation to human existence. It argues that literature is not just an art form but is intertwined with our humanity, and to place it below other pursuits is to diminish the essence of being human. The speaker, likely the Queen, challenges the notion of superiority over literature, asserting that one cannot elevate themselves above something so central to life and the human condition.
Themes
LiteratureHumanityValueArtExistence
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of books in education, one could quote this to emphasize the necessity of literature.
More from Alan Bennett
All quotes βTo begin with, it's true, she read with trepidation and some unease. The sheer endlessness of books outfaced her and she had no idea how to go on; there was no system to her reading, with one book leading to another, and often she had two or three on the go at the same time.
Alan BennettRead
A book is a device to ignite the imagination.
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Those who have known the famous are publicly debriefed of their memories, knowing as their own dusk falls that they will only be remembered for remembering someone else.
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To read is to withdraw.To make oneself unavailable. One would feel easier about it if the pursuit inself were less...selfish.
Alan BennettRead
The best moments in reading are when you come across something - a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things - which you had thought special and particular to you. And now, here it is, set down by someone else, a person you have never met, someone even who is long dead. And it is as if a hand has come out, and taken yours
Alan BennettRead
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