“The only advice, indeed, that one person can give another about reading is to take no advice, to follow your own instincts, to use your own reason, to come to your own conclusions … After all, what laws can be laid down about books? The Battle of Waterloo was certainly fought on a certain day; but is Hamlet a better play than Lear? Nobody can say. Each must decide that question for himself.”

~ Virginia Woolf, 1882 – 1941

When I first read this it definitely resonated, as I always feel  that if any one of us enjoys a book immensely and/or it has a profound effect upon us, then it’s a great book for us. And maybe for others, too, but it’s not necessarily the case — yet that in no way invalidates our experience. Which is why, when posting on books I’ve read, I rarely say ‘this is a good book’ or a ‘great book.’ I can only say whether or not I have enjoyed it, and why.

I think, too, that this quote is a way of saying we should be fearless in our reading and definitely not take another’s opinion on the merits or otherwise of a book. The only way to ever know ‘for sure’ is to read and decide for ourselves, à la the great Ms Woolf. 😀