It must be that I am dreaming, and that I shall awaken in a moment to see that awful knife descending toward my heart- kiss me, dear, just once before I lose my dream forever." -Jane-
Edgar Rice BurroughsRead
No fiction is worth reading except for entertainment. If it entertains and is clean, it is good literature, or its kind. If it forms the habit of reading, in people who might not read otherwise, it is the best literature.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The value of fiction lies in its ability to entertain and encourage reading.
This quote by Edgar Rice Burroughs emphasizes that fiction should primarily serve the purpose of entertainment. If a work of fiction is both engaging and appropriate, it qualifies as good literature. Moreover, if it inspires those who might not typically read to develop a habit of reading, it is considered the highest form of literature, reflecting the importance of accessibility and enjoyment in literary works.
Themes
FictionReadingEntertainmentLiteratureHabit
In practice
Example use cases
During a book club meeting discussing the importance of enjoyable literature.
More from Edgar Rice Burroughs
All quotes →Yes, I was a fool, but I was in love, and though I was suffering the greatest misery I had ever known I would not have had it otherwise for all the riches of Barsoom. Such is love, and such are lovers wherever love is known.
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It never seems to occur to some people, that, like beauty, a sense of humor may sometimes be fatal.
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Am I alive and a reality, or am I but a dream?
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This was life! Ah, how he loved it! Civilization held nothing like this in its narrow and circumscribed sphere, hemmed in by restrictions and conventionalities. Even clothes were a hindrance and a nuisance. At last he was free. He had not realized what a prisoner he had been.
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I shall have to believe even though I cannot understand.
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