Daniel Handler Quotes

Few activities are as delightful as learning new vocabulary.

Always, as a child, I would go around the house, and if I found a word that I didn't know the meaning of, I would write it down and ask my parents to define it and try to memorise it.

To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark.

When I need to know the meaning of a word, I look it up in a dictionary.

I used to go through the dictionary looking for unusual but nontechnical words. At one time, I thought the greatest word was 'jejune' and I would throw it into every piece because something about it appealed to me.

I really was the nerd in the car that read vocabulary books. If we were going on day trips, I would quite like to have just stayed in the car with my German and French vocab books. It's embarrassing to admit to it now.

I once tried to read the dictionary. It didn't work.

I actually tried to learn the dictionary at one point. It didn't work; I only got through the first few pages.

By reading so much, my vocabulary automatically improved along with my comprehension.

[Instead of collecting stamps, he collected dictionaries and encyclopaedias:] Because you can learn more from them.

That's crazy, because I had no idea what the word 'contraction' meant before I saw it on the Internet.

People have now a-days got a strange opinion that every thing should be taught by lectures. Now, I cannot see that lectures can do as much good as reading the books from which the lectures are taken.

Read more. Read. Read. Read. Deeply, widely, read. Learn all kinds of subjects. The smarter you are as an actor, the better an actor you'll be.

In my early years I read very hard. It is a sad reflection, but a true one, that I knew almost as much at eighteen as I do now.

Do you wish to learn? There are books that can teach you anything, and there is no cheaper form of education, nor one whose effects are more lasting. My education came from books, and they have been my companions by many campfires, in bunkhouses, ships' forecastles, in hotels and on planes. No matter where you find me, I am never far from a book.

Reading becomes the fuel for development.

read thousands of books and I will power myself with knowledge. Pens and books are the weapons that defeat terrorism.

I is reading it hundreds of times,' the BFG said. 'And I is still reading it and teaching new words to myself and how to write them. It is the most scrumdiddlyumptious story.' Sophie took the book out of his hand. 'Nicholas Nickleby,' she read aloud. 'By Dahl's Chickens,' the BFG said.

Read a lot. Reading really helps. Read anything you can get your hands on.

It is manifest that all government of action is to be gotten by knowledge, and knowledge best, by gathering many knowledges, which is reading.

Writing comes from reading, and reading is the finest teacher of how to write.

If you're a serious minded leader, you will read. You will read all you can.

Obstreperous, ‘huh,” said Tad. “I see you’ve been using that Big Word of the Day calendar I got you last Christmas.” “That is irrefragable,” I told him solemnly.

If you can read, you can find books on anything you want. You can self-educate even if you can't afford to go to school.

I can get by and chatter and talk and tell funny stories, make people laugh, but I don't have as many words, I don't have the vocabulary. I think if I forced myself to read in Spanish - you know, I always say I'm going to, but I lose my patience reading in Spanish, because I really do read the way a third grader does, mouthing the words. That takes a long time!