Ah, Sir, a novel is a mirror carried along a high road. At one moment it reflects to your vision the azure skies, at another the mire of the puddles at your feet. And the man who carries this mirror in his pack will be accused by you of being immoral! His mirror shews the mire, and you blame the mirror! Rather blame that high road upon which the puddle lies, still more the inspector of roads who allows the water to gather and the puddle to form. Stendhal
About This Quote

In this quote, Charles Dickens is criticizing the current reading trends in society. In his time, the novel was a mirror that allowed readers to look into the lives of other people. Dickens would certainly have been aware that people found much offense in being told how to live their lives. More so, many readers would have also disliked being told how to read a book by their literary masters.

When you carry a mirror in your pack, you can reflect what is going on around you, both good and bad. The person who carries a mirror in a backpack can see anything from the beauty of nature to the worst of muck and mire.

Source: The Red And The Black

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