Of all the inanimate objects, of all men’s creations, books are the nearest to us for they contain our very thoughts, our ambitions, our indignations, our illusions, our fidelity to the truth, and our persistent leanings to error. But most of all they resemble us in their precious hold on life.
Joseph Conrad (born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski; 1857-1924), Polish-born British author from the essay Books (1905), included in The Works of Joseph Conrad.