Each book was a world unto itself, and in it I took refuge.

In any of my pages in any of my books may life a perfect account of my secret experience of the world.

I don't remember ever feeling lonely; in fact, on the rare occasions when I met other children I found their games and their talk far less interesting than the adventures and dialogues I read in my books.

During the day, the library is a realm of order.

In a library, no empty shelf remains empty for long.

I wanted to live among books.

It used to be that readers were relegated because they considered themselves far above society, and so the metaphor of the ivory tower developed. Now there's still this idea that the reader doesn't take part in the social game and in politics, the res publica, but for other reasons: he doesn't do it because he's not making any money.