“Eating and reading are two pleasures that combine admirably.”

“Writing is a fine thing, because it combines the two pleasures of talking to yourself and talking to a crowd.”

Cesare Pavese (1908–1950) Italian poet, novelist, literary critic, and translator

“To admire is, to me, questionless, the highest pleasure of life.”

William Rowan Hamilton (1805–1865) Irish physicist, astronomer, and mathematician

“Pleasure is never as pleasant as we expected it to be and pain is always more painful. The pain in the world always outweighs the pleasure. If you don't believe it, compare the respective feelings of two animals, one of which is eating the other.”

Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) German philosopher

“Warning: Do not read this story right after eating. In fact, don't read it right before eating either. In fact, just to be safe, don't read this story if you're ever planning to eat again.”

Louis Sachar (1954) American writer of children's books

“The books that everybody admires are those that nobody reads.”

Anatole France (1844–1924) French writer

“Read like a wolf eats.”

Gary Paulsen (1939) American writer and musher

“Sometimes I wish I were a cannibal – less for the pleasure of eating someone than for the pleasure of vomiting him.”

Emil M. Cioran (1911–1995) Romanian philosopher and essayist

“There's always time to read. Don't trust a writer who doesn't read. It's like eating food prepared by a cook who doesn't eat.”

Laura Lippman (1959) Detective fiction writer

“One reads for pleasure… it is not a public duty.”

Alan Bennett book The Uncommon Reader