There were pools of light among the stacks, directly beneath the bulbs which Philip had switched on, but it was now with an unexpected fearfulness that he saw how the books stretched away into the darkness. They seemed to expand as soon as they reached the shadows, creating some dark world where there was no beginning and no end, no story, no meaning. And if you crossed the threshold into that world, you would be surrounded by words; you would crush them beneath your feet, you would knock against them with your head and arms, but if you tried to grasp them they would melt away. Philip did not dare turn his back upon these books. Not yet. It was almost, he thought, as if they had been speaking to each other while he slept. Peter Ackroyd
About This Quote

There are books that talk to each other in the dark. The book that Philip is referring to is the book called "The Great Gatsby" written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It begins with this quote, "There were pools of light among the stacks, directly beneath the bulbs which Philip had switched on, but it was now with an unexpected fearfulness that he saw how the books stretched away into the darkness.

They seemed to expand as soon as they reached the shadows, creating some dark world where there was no beginning and no end, no story, no meaning." The deep-rooted fear of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is that in order to find happiness or enlightenment, one must leave their comfort zone or have a certain amount of knowledge about life. This quote tells us that when one goes into a dark place to seek knowledge or enlightenment, they will be faced with failure and doubt.

However, this quote also tells us that when one enters the darkness with an open heart and mind, they can face their fears head on and have a greater understanding of life's unknowns.

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