Having a clear faith, based on the creed of the church is often labeled today as fundamentalism. Whereas relativism, which is letting oneself be tossed and Of all the ways of acquiring books, writing them oneself is regarded as the most praiseworthy method. Writers are really people who write books not because they are poor, but because they are dissatisfied with the books which they could buy but do not like.

To perceive the aura of an object we look at means to invest it with the ability to look at us in return.

Melancholy betrays the world for the sake of knowledge. But in its tenacious self-absorption it embraces dead objects in its contemplation, in order to redeem them

Ownership is the most intimate relationship that one can have to objects. Not that they come alive in him; it is he who lives in them.

As long as there is still one beggar around, there will still be myth.

The construction of life is at present in the power of facts far more than convictions.

To a book collector, you see, the true freedom of all books is somewhere on his shelves.