Books are not about passing time. They're about other lives. Other worlds. Far from wanting time to pass, one just wishes one had more of it. If one wanted to pass the time one could go to New Zealand.

Alan Bennett
About This Quote

The first time I read this quote I loved it, but then I realized it meant so much more than just passing time. In fact, I realized there were so many other lives and other worlds that I wish I could have been a part of. When one reads a book, they read about someone else's life, but also see parts of their own life in the characters. If you don't believe it, just try reading a book and see if you can't relate to the characters you're reading about.

Source: The Uncommon Reader

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More Quotes By Alan Bennett
  1. You don't put your life into your books, you find it there.
  2. We started off trying to set up a small anarchist community, but people wouldn't obey the rules.
  3. One recipe for happiness is to have to sense of entitlement.' To this she added a star and noted at the bottom of the page: 'This is not a lesson I have ever been in a position to learn.
  4. I'm not "happy" but I'm not unhappy about it.
  5. Too late. It was all too late. But she went on, determined as ever and always trying to catch up.
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