In old days books were written by men of letters and read by the public. Nowadays books are written by the public and read by nobody.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Books used to be written by experts and read by many; now they’re made by the public and read by none.
- In plain terms
- The shift to mass‑generated content has reduced readership.
- What can you take from it?
- Quality and audience engagement matter more than sheer production.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What makes a book worth reading today?
- How can authors stand out?
Another view
It overlooks successful self‑published works that find readers.
More from Oscar Wilde
It is a very sad thing that nowadays there is so little useless information.
Permalink to quote #122 Friendship is far more tragic than love. It lasts longer.
Permalink to quote #124 The English are always degrading truths into facts. When a truth becomes a fact it loses all its intellectual value.
Permalink to quote #121
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