“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and, if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it by experience, and be able to give a true account of it in my next excursion.”
―
―
“This is what you shall do; Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown or to any man or number of men, go freely with powerful uneducated persons and with the young and with the mothers of families, read these leaves in the open air every season of every year of your life, re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book, dismiss whatever insults your own soul, and your very flesh shall be a great poem and have the richest fluency not only in its words but in the silent lines of its lips and face and between the lashes of your eyes and in every motion and joint of your body.”
―
―
“I would rather be ashes than dust!
I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry-rot.
I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet.
The function of man is to live, not to exist.
I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them.
I shall use my time.”
―
I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry-rot.
I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet.
The function of man is to live, not to exist.
I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them.
I shall use my time.”
―
“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”
― Lady Windermere's Fan
― Lady Windermere's Fan
Orange County Library System (FL)
— 623 members
— last activity Nov 12, 2025 04:42AM
Find out what we are reading at OCLS! Discover OCLS book clubs, events and more!
Book Chat - CLOSED by original moderator
— 671 members
— last activity Apr 19, 2025 07:43AM
THIS GROUP HAS BEEN CLOSED and is NO LONGER ACTIVE. Welcome to Book Chat! Instead of being about a particular book, author or genre this group is ab ...more
For Love of a Book
— 6461 members
— last activity 43 minutes ago
This group was created to connect lovers of stories across the internet with their characters and plotlines, dreams and recommendations. Bibliophiles ...more
Jose’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Jose’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
More friends…
Polls voted on by Jose
Lists liked by Jose


































