Quote by Charles Caleb Colton
The society of dead authors has this advantage over that of the living: they never flatter us to our faces, nor slander us behind our backs, nor intrude upon our privacy, nor quit their shelves until we take them down.
Summary
This quote highlights the advantage of interacting with the works of deceased authors, as opposed to living ones. Dead authors, represented through their books, offer unbiased honesty, unlike living authors who may flatter or slander readers. They respect privacy by not intruding upon it, and they remain on the shelves until chosen, allowing readers to engage with them at their own pace and desire. Essentially, this quote underscores the freedom and autonomy one feels when engaging with books from deceased authors, devoid of social complexities that can be associated with living authors.