He read it for the same reason an animal tears at a wounded foot: to hurt the pain.

Nathanael West
About This Quote

This is a quote from a book called “Tales of the Unexpected”. In this passage, a character is discussing a book he just read and is comparing it to experiences he has had. He says that the book was similar to his experience with a wounded foot because both of them were painful yet also interesting. The author seems to be making a comparison between reading and pain, where books can give us information without causing us pain.

Source: Miss Lonelyhearts

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