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It is those books which a man possesses but does not read which constitute the most suspicious evidence against him.
Victor Hugo
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Books that are owned but not read reflect poorly on a person's character.

Victor Hugo suggests that owning books signifies an intention to learn and grow, yet failing to engage with them implies a lack of curiosity or effort. The quote highlights the importance of not just possessing knowledge or resources but actively utilizing them for personal development.

Themes

BooksReadingEducationKnowledgeCuriosity

In practice

Example use cases

During a lecture on personal development, this quote can be used to emphasize the importance of actively engaging with educational materials.

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It seemed to be a necessary ritual that he should prepare himself for sleep by meditating under the solemnity of the night sky... a mysterious transaction between the infinity of the soul and the infinity of the universe.
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At that moment of love, a moment when passion is absolutely silent under omnipotence of ecstasy, Marius, pure seraphic Marius, would have been more capable of visiting a woman of the streets than of raising Cosette’s dress above the ankle. Once on a moonlit night, Cosette stopped to pick up something from the ground, her dress loosened and revealed the swelling of her breasts. Marius averted his eyes.
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Forget not, never forget that you have promised me to use this silver to become an honest man.... Jean Valjean, my brother: you belong no longer to evil, but to good. It is your soul that I am buying for you. I withdraw it from dark thoughts and from the spirit of perdition, and I give it to God!
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