Suddenly summoned to witness something great and horrendous, we keep fighting not to reduce it to our own smallness.
Gutenberg (hesitantly): Perhaps the book, like God, is an idea some men will cling to. The revolution of print pursued a natural course. Like a river, print flowed to its readers, and the cheapness of the means permitted it, where the channel was narrow, to trickle. This electronic flood you describe has no banks; it massively delivers but what to whom? There is something intrinsically small about its content, compared to the genius of its working. And--if I may point out a technical problem--its product never achieves autonomy from its means of delivery. A book can lie unread for a century, and all it needs to come to life is to be scanned by a literate brain.
Quote Detail
Gutenberg (hesitantly): Perhaps the book, like God, is an idea some men will cling to. The revolution of print pursued a natural course. Like a river, print flowed to its readers, and the cheapness of the means permitted it, where the channel was narrow, to trickle. This electronic flood you describe has no banks; it massively delivers but what to whom? There is something intrinsically small about its content, compared to the genius of its working. And--if I may point out a technical problem--its product never achieves autonomy from its means of delivery. A book can lie unread for a century, and all it needs to come to life is to be scanned by a literate brain.
Quick Answer
What this quote page tells you
This canonical quote page keeps the full saying, the attributed author, any linked work, and the topic tags together so the quote can be cited from one stable URL.
Related Quotes
More quote cards from the same area
Just write. That's my only tip. And read. I guess that's two.
I am forever an advocate of books, both the reading of them and the writing. There is something sacred to me in that community. Because writing--and reading--is a solitary business. And it__ good to know I__ not alone.
There was a day when writers actually read," he grumbles. "They could quote Keats and Socrates. Now anyone with a keyboard and a fifth-grade education can call themselves a writer.
Sometimes I wonder if novel writers aren__ completely f**ked in the head. ~ Drew Stirling
? Reviews are for readers AND authors. It__ a good way of learning from what people think about the work. Being it good or bad. A book might as well be hurt by a bad, poorly written review. That__ such a pity. Some people don__ know how to express themselves, and maybe that__ why they are just readers and not writers, others read a book like chewing a cupcake. That__ too bad. If that was not your cup of tea, leave it there, untouched. Don__ go bash the author for that. But if you really hate the book, why bother telling others. It__ your problem after all. You can give constructive opinions but don__ blame the author for your different tastes and views. Also authors shouldn__ comment on reviews, it sounds unprofessional, even silly. Some busy writers don__ even have time to read what other people say about their work. If someone enjoyed your book, or not, that is irrelevant. If you will continue or not to write something else it doesn´t add to the plate.. Besides, why bother commenting on a review, just read it and shut up. Being it good or bad. So my opinions about authors commenting on reviews is just my opinions after all!