QuoteProject
There are only two kinds of books -- good books and the others. The good are winnowed from the bad through the democracy of time.
Edward Abbey
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

The value of books is determined over time, distinguishing between truly good books and lesser works.

Edward Abbey's quote suggests that there are fundamentally two types of books: good books that stand the test of time and lesser works that fade away. The 'democracy of time' implies that readers and society will eventually judge the quality of literature, separating valuable ideas from those that do not resonate or contribute meaningfully to our culture, emphasizing the importance of enduring wisdom and insights in literature.

Themes

BooksReadingLiteratureQualityTime

In practice

Example use cases

In a book club discussion, this quote can emphasize the importance of selecting quality literature.

More from Edward Abbey

Married couples who quarrel bitterly every day may really need each other as deeply as those who appear to be desperately in love.
Edward AbbeyRead
I love America because it is a confused, chaotic mess - and I hope we can keep it this way for at least another thousand years. The permissive society is the free society.
Edward AbbeyRead
If it's knowledge and wisdom you want, then seek out the company of those who do real work for an honest purpose.
Edward AbbeyRead
The earth is real. Only a fool, milking his cow, denies the cow's reality.
Edward AbbeyRead
I believe in nothing that I cannot touch, kiss, embrace.... The rest is only hearsay.
Edward AbbeyRead
Why can't we simply borrow what is useful to us from Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, especially Zen, as we borrow from Christianity, science, American Indian traditions and world literature in general, including philosophy, and let the rest go hang? Borrow what we need but rely principally upon our own senses, common sense and daily living experience.
Edward AbbeyRead

Similar quotes

Don't be an examiner, be the interested inquirer.
Studs TerkelRead
The mission that unites all of the programs of the Teach For All global network is that of cultivating the leadership capacity critical to ultimately ensuring educational opportunity for all.
Wendy KoppRead
I think it's very important that we instill in our kids that it has nothing to do with their name or their situation that they're growing up in; it has to do with who they are as an individual.
Melinda GatesRead
A few modern philosopher's assert that an individual's intelligence is a fixed quantity, a quantity which cannot be increased. We must protest and react against this brutal pessimism.... With practice, training, and above all, method, we manage to increase our attention, our memory, our judgment and literally to become more intelligent than we were before.
Alfred BinetRead
The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.
Dr. SeussRead
Give your child a single valuable idea, and you have done more for his education than if you had laid upon his mind the burden of bushels of information.
Charlotte MasonRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.