If you have the guts to be yourself, other people'll pay your price.
John UpdikeRead
If the worst comes true, and the paper book joins the papyrus scroll and parchment codex in extinction, we will miss, I predict, a number of things about it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the potential loss of physical books and their unique qualities if they become extinct.
John Updike's quote expresses a deep sense of nostalgia and concern for the potential disappearance of physical books. He suggests that if paper books were to vanish like earlier forms of written material, society would lose invaluable aspects of the reading experience, such as the tactile sensation of turning pages, the permanence of print, and the intimate connection readers often feel with a physical book. Updike emphasizes that the loss of these elements would carry significant cultural and emotional implications.
Themes
BooksLiteratureReadingExtinctionNostalgia
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of preserving literature, one could reference this quote to highlight the significance of physical books.
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Museums and bookstores should feel, I think, like vacant lots - places where the demands on us are our own demands, where the spirit can find exercise in unsupervised play.
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The reader knows the writer better than he knows himself; but the writer's physical presence is light from a star that has moved on.
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To guarantee the individual maximum freedom within a social frame of minimal laws ensures - if not happiness - its hopeful pursuit.
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