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Book Quotes

Why books work the way they do.

This page highlights what books can do that film can't, including slower pacing and quiet stretches, alongside a reminder that some things simply translate poorly to screen. For a companion collection, see Books.

Me and Johnny Rotten have been talking about doing a movie of his book, No Irish, No Dogs, No Blacks. We have a script, so hopefully that's going to happen at some point in our careers.

Quotes by Penelope Spheeris

I love the drive from York to Whitby over the moors - one of the great journeys, in my book.

Quotes by Penelope Wilton

I was still an avid reader of Mills & Boon romances - on publication day, I used to rush out of work to get to the local book store to grab my favourites before they all disappeared.

Quotes by Penny Jordan

There are two questions that you ask yourself as a writer, and one of them is, 'But why?' The question that takes the book forward is, 'What if? What if x y or z happened? How would those characters react?'

Quotes by Penny Jordan

I feel that if I'm writing a book, it has to be an honest book: it has to say what I believe to be the truth, so that's kind of warts and all.

Quotes by Penny Junor

It's really an interesting problem, trying to earn a living and serve art and serve kids. What I try to create are these visual layers so that readers feel the possibility exists that there might be something in the book...

Quotes by Peggy Rathmann

In my book, all manners are is thinking of somebody else.

Quotes by Penelope Keith

I didn't want it to be a book that made pronouncements.

Quotes by Penelope Lively

Conventional forms of narrative allow for different points of view, but for this book I wanted a structure whereby each of the main characters contributed a distinctive version of the story.

Quotes by Penelope Lively

It's much better to write a book and stick to the research - that's history. In cinema, emotional truth and psychological truth is much more important.

Quotes by Pawel Pawlikowski

It's very difficult to read a book on your computer.

Paulo Coelho

Publishers see free downloads as threatening the sales of the book.

Paulo Coelho

A book might be written on the injustice of the just.

Quotes by Pauline Kael

The first Amy Silver book was commissioned, and they were not books that came completely from me. They weren't necessarily the sort of books I read, and although I enjoyed doing them very much, and they were great training, I...

Quotes by Paula Hawkins

I didn't expect to be doing a whole bunch of Amber Browns. And because it was just one book, and the father had moved away, I didn't realize I was going to have to deal more with shared custody, divorce...

Quotes by Paula Danziger

When my father would yell at me, I told myself someday I'd use it in a book.

Quotes by Paula Danziger

One of the things you will notice about the book of Mark is that if you read through it in one setting, you will be breathing hard at the end. Literally, Mark has set up this book in a way...

Quotes by Paul Washer

I read The Bell Jar, and then I read her memoir and her diaries, and a third book, an outside opinion. Just the way she made the pillows so neat on the oven door. It just seems to be the...

Quotes by Paul Westerberg

It felt like the first thing, but when I first started out, I got a job adapting a book by Russell Banks called 'Rule Of The Bone.' I didn't do a very good job. I didn't really know what I...

Quotes by Paul Thomas Anderson

So with 'There Will Be Blood,' I didn't even really feel like I was adapting a book. I was just desperate to find stuff to write.

Quotes by Paul Thomas Anderson

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a quote about pacing in books versus other media?
Yes. One quote observes: "In a book, you can kind of take time and have lulls in places." It highlights something books can do that faster-paced formats often can't.
Is there a quote about the difference between books and movies?
Yes - one quote notes that things that might work in a book just do not work in the visual medium of movies. It's a useful reminder that not every story translates directly from page to screen. For more on the reading side of storytelling, browse Books quotes.
Is there a quote about why books offer escapism?
Yes. One quote calls a great book "escapism" and says the artistry and the creativity in a story are better than any drugs. It's a strong statement about the emotional pull of good writing. For more on the community side of reading, see Book Club quotes.
Is there a quote about literature guiding how kids grow up?
Yes - one quote reflects that what sort of person you grow into shouldn't happen by default, which is often exactly what happens to kids, and describes seeing literature as a method of guidance, information, and contemplation. It's a thoughtful take on the role books can play in shaping character. For more on where to find these books, check out Bookstore quotes.
What different things do these "book" quotes celebrate?
The slower pacing only a book allows, the limits of adapting books into movies, books as a form of escapism, and literature's role in shaping how people grow up. If you're touring or exploring more book-related content, Book Tour quotes round things out.

One entry treats a great book as pure escapism, while another argues literature plays a real role in guiding how young people grow up. Explore further with Book Club or Bookstore.