If certain books are to be termed 'immigrant fiction,' what do we call the rest? Native fiction? Puritan fiction? This distinction doesn't agree with me.
Jhumpa LahiriRead
I always wanted to grow up in a house full of books, English books, and I wanted the sort of fireplaces that worked, overstuffed chairs, that whole kind of fantasy of a bookish New England life. So the library gave me that; for the hours that I was there, I was surrounded by that atmosphere that I craved in my life.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses a longing for a literary and cozy environment, highlighting the comfort found in books and libraries.
Jhumpa Lahiri's quote reflects a deep yearning for an idealized life surrounded by literature and the warmth of a book-filled home. It emphasizes the transformative power of libraries and books, illustrating how they can provide not only knowledge but also emotional solace and a sense of belonging for those who seek such atmospheres.
Themes
BooksLibraryAtmosphereComfortLiteratureHomeFantasy
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on the importance of reading, this quote can highlight the role of libraries in nurturing a love for books.
More from Jhumpa Lahiri
All quotes →When I sit down to write, I don't think about writing about an idea or a given message. I just try to write a story which is hard enough.
Jhumpa LahiriRead
When I am experiencing a complex story or novel, the broader planes, and also details, tend to fall away.
Jhumpa LahiriRead
I think each time you start a story or novel or whatever, you are absolutely at the bottom of the ladder all over again. It doesn't matter what you've done before.
Jhumpa LahiriRead
The sky was different, without color, taut and unforgiving. But the water was the most unforgiving thing, nearly black at times, cold enough, I knew, to kill me, violent enough to break me apart. The waves were immense, battering rocky beaches without sand. The farther I went, the more desolate it became, more than any place I'd been, but for this very reason the landscape drew me, claimed me as nothing had in a long time.
Jhumpa LahiriRead
On the technical side, I hope that my writing is evolving and maturing, ripening, deepening.
Jhumpa LahiriRead
Similar quotes
Just what is it that academics have to fear if they stand up for common decency, instead of letting campus barbarians run amok?
Thomas SowellRead
I think we should bring up our children with much less pressure to compete and get ahead: no comparing one child with another, at home or in school; no grades. Let athletics be primarily for fun, and let them be organized by children and youths themselves.
Benjamin SpockRead
Many books that tell you how to achieve come from a privileged position. If you can't see yourself in the advice, how can you use it?
Stacey AbramsRead
Early childhood education is the key to the betterment of society.
Maria MontessoriRead
First let a man teach himself, and then he will be taught by others.
Johann Wolfgang Von GoetheRead
As an educator, I try to get people to be fundamentally curious and to question ideas that they might have or that are shared by others. In that state of mind, they have earned a kind of inoculation against the fuzzy thinking of these weird ideas floating around out there.
Neil Degrasse TysonRead