Monday quote

The main lesson of Dr Baron’s book, however, is that not everyone is a born writer. This is not to say that his little volume is without value. As Doctor Johnson might have put it, he who would be a writer must read bad books in order to be able to discern the virtues of good books. Dr Baron fails to distinguish between the memories that are important to him personally and those that might interest a reader. In writing, excision is next to godliness; and so his book reads like an extended and rambling speech of thanks for the presents kindly given to him at his retirement.

Theodore Dalrymple.