The man who has not the habit of reading is imprisoned in his immediate world, in respect to time and space. His life falls into a set routine; he is limited to contact and conversation with a few friends and acquaintances, and he sees only what happens in his immediate neighbourhood. From this prison there is no escape. But the moment he takes up a book, he immediately enters a different world, and if it is a good book, he is immediately put in touch with one of the best talkers of the world. This talker leads him on and carries him into a different country or a different age, or unburdens to him some of his personal regrets, or discusses with him some special line or aspect of life that the reader knows nothing about. An ancient author puts him in communion with a dead spirit of long ago, and as he reads along, he begins to imagine what the ancient author looked like and what type of person he was. Lin Yutang
About This Quote

This quote by Charles Dickens captures the essence of reading. When we read, we get to experience a world far removed from our everyday life. Reading is a way of escape and remember the past, but it also allows us to see what life was like for people who lived long ago. Reading can even help us imagine what life will be like in the future.

Of course, there is no escaping into our imagination when we read. Instead, we live through the characters that we encounter in the book and get to experience their lives and troubles just as they do.

Source: The Importance Of Living

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