You should only read what is truly good or what is frankly bad.
This quote from Ernest Hemingway's A Moveable Feast presents a simple yet profound directive about literary consumption. It suggests an approach to reading that is selective and intentional, positing that engaging with literature that is either genuinely excellent or outright poor yields the most honest and valuable experiences.
From one perspective, this advice encourages readers to seek out what is "truly good"—works that offer beauty, profound insight, or exemplary craftsmanship. Such...