The true reader reads every work seriously in the sense that he reads it whole-heartedly, makes himself as receptive as he can. But for that very reason he cannot possibly read every work solemly or gravely. For he will read 'in the same spirit that the author writ.'... He will never commit the error of trying to munch whipped cream as if it were venison.

Clearly one must read every good book at least once every ten years.

I can't imagine a man really enjoying a book and reading it only once.

For I need not remind such an audience as this that the neat sorting out of books into age-groups, so dear to publishers, has only a very sketchy relation with the habits of any real readers. Those of us who are blamed when old for reading childish books were blamed when children for reading books too old for us. No reader worth his salt trots along in obedience to a time-table.

It is a good rule after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between.

No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally – and often far more – worth reading at the age of fifty and beyond.