Quote by Virginia Woolf, How Should One R

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. If this is agreed between us, then I feel at liberty to put forward a few ideas and suggestions because you will not allow them to fetter that independence which is the most important quality that a reader can possess. 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. To admit authorities, however heavily furred and gowned, into our libraries and let them tell us how to read, what to read, what value to place upon what we read, is to destroy the spirit of freedom which is the breath of those sanctuaries. Everywhere else we may be bound by laws and conventions-there we have none.

Summary

This quote emphasizes the importance of independent thinking and personal judgment in the act of reading. The author argues against the notion of following advice or seeking guidance on what to read and how to interpret it. They assert that each reader should trust their own instincts and reasoning, as well as form their own conclusions. To invite external authorities to dictate our reading choices and opinions would undermine the freedom and autonomy associated with the act of reading. In essence, this quote advocates for the unhampered exploration and interpretation of literature, free from imposed restrictions or preconceived notions.