Books and Reading: Or, What Books Shall I Read and how Shall I Read Them?C. Scribner & Company, 1871 - 378 pages |
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Page 6
... true , as it may be , that single books make an im- pression less marked and decisive than formerly , so that a bad or inferior book may do less harm than it once did , it is also true that bad books and inferior books are far more ...
... true , as it may be , that single books make an im- pression less marked and decisive than formerly , so that a bad or inferior book may do less harm than it once did , it is also true that bad books and inferior books are far more ...
Page 12
... true character . " If anything would discourage us from prosecuting the plan of writing upon Books and Reading , it would be the perusal of this paper of well - meant truisms and well - worn commonplaces . It does not follow , however ...
... true character . " If anything would discourage us from prosecuting the plan of writing upon Books and Reading , it would be the perusal of this paper of well - meant truisms and well - worn commonplaces . It does not follow , however ...
Page 15
... true , but much more than this can be shown most satisfactorily . If the lessons of these facts teach anything , they teach that literature must respect ethical truth if it is to reach its highest achievements , or attain that place in ...
... true , but much more than this can be shown most satisfactorily . If the lessons of these facts teach anything , they teach that literature must respect ethical truth if it is to reach its highest achievements , or attain that place in ...
Page 19
... true , though they cannot see how . Very grave and Christian citizens -the stiff asserters of law and order - will read arguments that tend to the destruction of the family , with its sacred confidence and endearments - which would ...
... true , though they cannot see how . Very grave and Christian citizens -the stiff asserters of law and order - will read arguments that tend to the destruction of the family , with its sacred confidence and endearments - which would ...
Page 23
... true of no book what- ever , that its character and value are not greatly de- termined by the intellect and culture , the honor and honesty , of the man who made it . The traces of person- ality are also oftener to be discerned than we ...
... true of no book what- ever , that its character and value are not greatly de- termined by the intellect and culture , the honor and honesty , of the man who made it . The traces of person- ality are also oftener to be discerned than we ...
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Common terms and phrases
admiration ancient attractive biography books and reading called character Christian Coleridge conscience criticism culture delight diction earnest elevated eloquence eminent emotions English language English literature Essays ethical evil excited F. W. Newman facts faith favorite French Revolution furnish genius George Eliot George Grote give Goethe habits History of Greece human illustrate imagery imagination individual influence inspiration instructive intellectual intelligent interest J. J. Thomas judge judgment language less litera literary lives Matthew Arnold ment Milton mind modern moral nature newspaper novels opinions passions person personages Philosophy poem poet poetic poetry political principles reader reason refined respect Robert Southey rule scenes Scott sense sentiments Shakspeare soul spirit story style sympathy taste thought and feeling tion tory treatises true truth ture verse volumes W. G. T. SHEDD worth writer written
Popular passages
Page 376 - With them I take delight in weal, And seek relief in woe; And while I understand and feel How much to them I owe, My cheeks have often been bedew'd With tears of thoughtful gratitude.
Page 84 - Ye have the account Of my performance : what remains, ye gods ! But up, and enter now into full bliss ?" So having said, a while he stood, expecting Their universal shout, and high applause, To fill his ear ; when, contrary, he hears On all sides, from innumerable tongues, A dismal universal hiss, the sound Of public scorn...
Page 82 - There is some soul of goodness in things evil, Would men observingly distil it out...
Page 23 - OATS [a grain which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people], — Croker.
Page 52 - Wise men have said, are wearisome ; who reads Incessantly, and to his reading brings not A spirit and judgment equal or superior, (And what he brings what needs he elsewhere seek?) Uncertain and unsettled still remains, Deep versed in books, and shallow in himself, Crude or intoxicate, collecting toys And trifles for choice matters, worth a sponge ; As children gathering pebbles on the shore.
Page 22 - I know they are as lively, and as vigorously productive, as those fabulous dragon's teeth : and being sown up and down, may chance to spring up armed men. And yet, on the other hand, unless wariness be used, as good almost kill a man as kill a good book : who kills a man kills a reasonable creature, God's image ; but he who destroys a good book kills reason itself — kills the image of God, as it were, in the eye.
Page 276 - Jonson, which two I behold like a Spanish great galleon, and an English man-of-war ; Master Jonson (like the former) was built far higher in learning ; solid, but slow in his performances.
Page 242 - Poetry is the breath and finer spirit of all knowledge ; it is the impassioned expression which is in the countenance of all Science.
Page 75 - Therefore, because the acts or events of true history have not that magnitude which satisfieth the mind of man, poesy feigneth acts and events greater and more heroical.
Page 83 - Me miserable ! which way shall I fly Infinite wrath, and infinite despair? Which way I fly is Hell; myself am Hell; And, in the lowest deep, a lower deep Still threatening to devour me opens wide, To which the Hell I suffer seems a Heaven.