Never lend books, for no one ever returns them; the only books I have in my library are books that other folks have lent me.
In old days books were written by men of letters and read by the public. Nowadays books are written by the public and read by nobody.
If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.
If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.
If I read a book and it makes my whole body so cold no fire can ever warm me, I know that is poetry. If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry. These are the only ways I know it. Is there any other way?
If children are studying the 20th century, I’m in their text books.
I think of life as a good book. The further you get into it, the more it begins to make sense.
I have a brother and sister; my mother does not care for thought, and father, too busy with his briefs to notice what we do. He buys me many books, but begs me not to read them, because he fears they joggle the mind.
I don’t think you can write a book that’s worth anything without extraordinary discipline.
I don’t have any sense or urgency about any of my writing, actually. I don’t think mankind will be damaged if I don’t put out a new album or a new book.
I couldn’t live a week without a private library — indeed, I’d part with all my furniture and squat and sleep on the floor before I’d let go of the 1500 or so books I possess.
I can’t think of any one film that improved on a good novel, but I can think of many good films that came from very bad novels.