But let us not forget that cities are like human beings. They are born, they go through childhood and adolescence, they grow old, and eventually they die
Elif SafakRead
You see, unlike in the movies, there is no THE END sign flashing at the end of books. When I've read a book, I don't feel like I've finished anything. So I start a new one.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Books are endless sources of knowledge and inspiration, and reading leads to continuous learning.
This quote by Elif Safak emphasizes the idea that reading is an infinite journey rather than a conclusion. Unlike movies that often signify an ending, books open new avenues of thought and discovery, prompting readers to seek out new narratives and insights, highlighting the ongoing nature of learning and personal growth through literature.
Themes
BooksReadingLearningInspirationGrowth
In practice
Example use cases
Use this quote in a book club to spark discussion about the impact of reading.
More from Elif Safak
All quotes →I like to question cultural biases wherever I go, and I question Islamophobia as much as I question anti-western sentiment because I think all extremist ideologies are very similar.
Elif SafakRead
Stories cannot demolish frontiers, but they can punch holes in our mental walls, and through those holes we can get a glimpse of the other and sometimes even like what we see.
Elif SafakRead
What i’m saying is, my friends, one ought to be able to let go. If a path does not please us, instead of insisting on going that specific way, of making our selfishness the guide, we ought to forsake. The books we cannot write, the films we cannot shoot, the projects we cannot develop, the jobs we cannot pursue and the people who no longer love us. Being able to let go, at times, is the most beautiful of all!
Elif SafakRead
For me, writing stories is one way of feeling connected to the universe and God.
Elif SafakRead
I write as if I were drunk. It is a process of intuition rather than placing myself above my story like a puppeteer pulling strings. For me, it's a scary, chaotic process over which I have little control. Words demand other words, characters resist me.
Elif SafakRead
Similar quotes
Have we forgotten about the children, and thus forsaken the next generation?
Audrey HepburnRead
We read books to find out who we are. What other people, real or imaginary, do and think and feel... is an essential guide to our understanding of what we ourselves are and may become.
Ursula K. Le GuinRead
Years should not be devoted to the acquisition of dead languages or to the study of history which, for the most part, is a detailed account of things that never occurred. It is useless to fill the individual with dates of great battles, with the births and deaths of kings. They should be taught the philosophy of history, the growth of nations, of philosophies, theories, and, above all, of the sciences.
Robert Green IngersollRead
I think I'm always subconsciously trying to write the ideal school play. Lots of parts for everybody, great parts for women - don't forget, more girls try out than boys in the school play; everyone gets to be in the school play.
Lin-Manuel MirandaRead
A great book should leave you with many experiences, and slightly exhausted. You should live several lives while reading it.
William StyronRead
Books won't stay banned. They won't burn. Ideas won't go to jail.
Alfred Whitney GriswoldRead