Whatever an author puts between the two covers of his book is public property; whatever of himself he does not put there is his private property, as much as if he had never written a word.

Summary

This quote suggests that as soon as an author publishes a book, the contents become public property, accessible and open to interpretation by readers. However, the quote also emphasizes that the author still retains a private aspect, their thoughts and ideas not explicitly expressed in the book. These personal aspects remain solely the author's property, maintaining a separation between their public work and private self, which should not be dissected or analyzed by readers.

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