What is paradise like?
I’m indebted to the lovely lady at The Unlikely Bookworm blog for a fascinating quote. She has a list of quotes on her home page and they are all worth considering. The one I’m particularly taken with is from Jorge Luis Borges.
“I have always imagined that paradise will be some kind of library”
I’ve not seen this quote before. I have to admit that such ideas as I have of paradise are pretty conventional: green fields, sunshine, babbling brooks, golden sands, palm trees etc.
Thinking a bit deeper I realise that it wouldn’t be paradise without as many books on as many subjects as I want. But an actual library …
I can’t picture paradise as a building, but I see no reason why it shouldn’t have both an outdoors and an indoors. Or perhaps an outdoor library? Would that work? Having been thoroughly rained on at a number of outdoor theatres, I think probably not – after all, there has to be rain in paradise or there won’t be any flowers.
The speculation is fun, but Borges, like all great writers, suggests ideas beyond simple words. In this case perhaps he’s suggesting that books are a little piece of paradise in the here and now.
e a m harris 
I too cant imagine a paradise without a huge library
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Thank you for reading my post and commenting. I’m beginning to imagine my paradise library more clearly – comfy chairs, wood panelled walls, fabulous catalogue, nice tearoom where I can meet fellow readers and bloggers and chat.
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This will be my thought for the day – great post!
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Thank you for your comment. You might find it worth looking at The Unlikely Bookworm blog as she has several nice quotes.
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Lovely quote – thank you for sharing it. Like to use sometime on my Quotes for Writers spot on Sundays. Have you seen Wings of Desire? It’s my all time favourite film by Wim Wenders about angels. They don’t sleep as such but they do need to rest and the perfect place is a library after hours….
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Thank you for your comment and the information on Wings of Desire. I’ve not seen it but it sounds great. Imagine wandering through the stacks in a library and coming across a resting angel. I think I would try and tiptoe round them so as to not disturb their rest.
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