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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.

Usually, I would mistrust a book if it took that long to write. Usually, if it isn't done in two years, I suspect there's something wrong and throw it away.

Quotes by John Burnside

Father knew me not. All my aspirations in life were a sealed book to him, as much as his peculiar religious experiences were to me.

Quotes by John Burroughs

I move between the two: I write an adult novel, and then I write a children's book. I quite enjoy that. It's a nice change of pace each time.

Quotes by John Boyne

I wrote my first book at 20, but my whole focus from about the age of 12 was to be a writer.

Quotes by John Boyne

When we read a story, we inhabit it. The covers of the book are like a roof and four walls. What is to happen next will take place within the four walls of the story. And this is possible because...

Quotes by John Berger

I suppose it's possible that a writer would have feeling for his characters, but I can't see how, because writing is such a meticulous, intricate, technical business. I wish I could say that I love my characters and that frequently...

Quotes by John Banville

With the crime novels, it's delightful to have protagonists I can revisit in book after book. It's like having a fictitious family.

Quotes by John Banville

You can never step into the same book twice, because you are different each time you read it.

Quotes by John Barton

'God' - as revealed in his book of edicts and narratives is practically an idiot. He has nothing to say that any sensible person should want to listen to.

Quotes by Johann Most

Nature is a book, a letter, a fairy tale (in the philosophical sense) or whatever you want to call it.

Quotes by Johann Georg Hamann

You meet people, and you realize that you can never judge a book by its cover.

Quotes by Joey Jordison

I'd like to make the film of Sam Selvon's book 'The Lonely Londoners.'

Quotes by Joe Wright

I was a comic book nut. For real. I still have a collection in my closet.

Quotes by Joe Russo

If you're a comic book fan, you know that any epic book, you would open it up - as a kid, I would just go through and look at who was fighting who. I'd stand there in the store for...

Quotes by Joe Russo

When I and the other young artists were working in comics, our work carried with it a particularly American slant. After all, we were Americans drawing and writing about things that touched us. As it turned out, the early work...

Quotes by Joe Simon

In the 1950s we use to feel that television was taking away our comic readership; with today's exciting, powerfully visual movies I have to wonder about their effect on the kids' loyalty to the comic book medium all over again.

Quotes by Joe Simon

I began thinking there should be an American phrase book, 'cause I've got an Italian phrase book, and an Arabic one... now a British one. I think it'd be pretty good to have an American phrase book.

Quotes by Joe Strummer

On a book like 'X-Men,' you have to stay true to the established fiction, working with editors to ensure continuity, sometimes across multiple titles.

Quotes by Joe Madureira

I grew up a big comic book reader, as a kid, and I love the whole fanboy crowd.

Quotes by Joe Manganiello

I watched so many comic book movies where the actors weren't as built as the characters in the book. It made me mad because they didn't look right.

Quotes by Joe Manganiello

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.