The Enlightenment, the Age of Reason, is seen as the beginning of modern depravity.
Umberto EcoRead
A book is a fragile creature, it suffers the wear of time, it fears rodents, the elements and clumsy hands. so the librarian protects the books not only against mankind but also against nature and devotes his life to this war with the forces of oblivion.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Books are vulnerable and require protection from both people and nature.
In this quote, Umberto Eco highlights the delicate nature of books and the responsibilities of librarians who safeguard them. He likens books to fragile creatures that endure the ravages of time and external threats, emphasizing the importance of preserving literature as a defense against forgetfulness and cultural loss.
Themes
BooksLibrarianProtectionTimeKnowledge
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of libraries, this quote can emphasize the role of librarians.
More from Umberto Eco
All quotes →I think that at a certain age, say fifteen or sixteen, poetry is like masturbation. But later in life good poets burn their early poetry, and bad poets publish it. Thankfully I gave up rather quickly.
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But why do some people support [the heretics]?" "Because it serves their purposes, which concern the faith rarely, and more often the conquest of power." "Is that why the church of Rome accuses all its adversaries of heresy?" "That is why, and that is also why it recognizes as orthodoxy any heresy it can bring back under its own control or must accept because the heresy has become too strong.
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You die, but most of what you have accumulated will not be lost; you are leaving a message in a bottle.
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"Then we are living in a place abandoned by God," I said, disheartened. "Have you found any places where God would have felt at home?" William asked me, looking down from his great height.
Umberto EcoRead
The lunatic is all idée fixe, and whatever he comes across confirms his lunacy. You can tell him by the liberties he takes with common sense, by his flashes of inspiration, and by the fact that sooner or later he brings up the Templars.
Umberto EcoRead
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