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The appeal of reading, she thought, lay in its indifference: there was something undeferring about literature. Books did not care who was reading them or whether one read them or not. All readers were equal, herself included. Literature, she thought, is a commonwealth; letters a republic.
Alan Bennett
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Literature creates an equal space for all readers, regardless of their background or status.

In this quote, Alan Bennett captures the essence of literature as an inclusive and impartial realm where all readers are treated equally. The idea of books being indifferent signifies that they do not judge or favor any reader, allowing everyone to engage with them on their own terms. This democratization of knowledge and stories contributes to literature being described as a commonwealth, reinforcing the notion that reading is a shared human experience that transcends individual differences.

Themes

LiteratureReadingEqualityEducationBooks

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used to emphasize the importance of reading in a school presentation.

More from Alan Bennett

Standards are always out of date. That's what makes them standards.
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To 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.
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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.
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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
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