Quote

There are good books and there are bad books, period, that's the distinction.

Norton Juster

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

Norton Juster
Age: 91 †
Born: 1929
Born: June 2
Died: 2021
Died: March 8
Architect
Author
Novelist
Writer
Brooklyn
New York
Period
Periods
Books
Book
Good
Distinction

More quotes by Norton Juster

Image
You can swim all day in the Sea of Knowledge and not get wet.
Norton Juster
Image
The most important reason for going from one place to another is to see what's in between, and they took great pleasure in doing just that.
Norton Juster
Image
Many of the things which can never be, often are.
Norton Juster
Image
What you learn today, for no reason at all, will help you discover all the wonderful secrets of tomorrow.
Norton Juster
Image
You see, to tall men I'm a midget, and to short men I'm a giant to the skinny ones I'm a fat man, and to the fat ones I'm a thin man.
Norton Juster
Image
Time is a gift, given to you, given to give you the time you need, the time you need to have the time of your life.
Norton Juster
Image
The only other thing which I think is important is: Don't write a book or start a book with the expectation of communicating a message in a very important way.
Norton Juster
Image
They all looked very much like the residents of any small valley to which you've never been.
Norton Juster
Image
That's the way most everyone gets here. It's really quite simple: every time you decide something without having a good reason, you jump to Conclusions whether you like it or not. It's such an easy trip to make that I've been here hundreds of times.
Norton Juster
Image
I think really good books can be read by anybody.
Norton Juster
Image
Just as I thought: boys are the cause of everything.
Norton Juster
Image
We never choose which words to use, for as long as they mean what they mean to mean, we don’t care if they make sense or nonsense.
Norton Juster
Image
I never knew words could be so confusing, Milo said to Tock as he bent down to scratch the dog's ear. Only when you use a lot to say a little, answered Tock. Milo thought this was quite the wisest thing he'd heard all day.
Norton Juster
Image
Expectations is the place you must always go to before you get to where you're going.
Norton Juster
Image
The only thing you can do easily is be wrong, and that's hardly worth the effort.
Norton Juster
Image
It's bad enough wasting time without killing it.
Norton Juster
Image
Expect everything, I always say, and the unexpected never happens.
Norton Juster
Image
You see, years ago I was just an ordinary bee minding my own business, smelling flowers all day, and occasionally picking up part-time work in people's bonnets. Then one day I realized that I'd never amount to anything without an education and, being naturally adept at spelling, I decided that—
Norton Juster
Image
And remember, also, added the Princess of Sweet Rhyme, that many places you would like to see are just off the map and many things you want to know are just out of sight or a little beyond your reach. But someday you'll reach them all, for what you learn today, for no reason at all, will help you discover all the wonderful secrets of tomorrow.
Norton Juster
Image
When he was in school he longed to be out, and when he was out he longed to be in. On the way he thought about coming home, and coming home he thought about going. Wherever he was he wished he were somewhere else, and when he got there he wondered why he'd even bothered.
Norton Juster