“Tom said to himself that it was not such a hollow world, after all. He had discovered a great law of human action, without knowing it -- namely, that in order to make a man or a boy covet a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain. If he had been a great and wise philosopher, like the writer of this book, he would now have comprehended that Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do, and that Play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do. And this would help him to understand why constructing artificial flowers or performing on a tread-mill is work, while rolling ten-pins or climbing Mont Blanc is only amusement. There are wealthy gentlemen in England who drive four-horse passenger-coaches twenty or thirty miles on a daily line, in the summer, because the privilege costs them considerable money; but if they were offered wages for the service, that would turn it into work and then they would resign.”
Quote by Mark Twain
Work
Mark Twain's 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer' is a seminal work of American literature, offering a vivid portrayal of childhood and the complexities of human nature. The story is set in the 1840s and follows the mischievous and imaginative Tom Sawyer, who lives with his Aunt Polly in a small town near the Mississippi River. Tom's adventures include escapades with his friends, his interactions with the local townspeople, and his attempts to outwit the strictures of his surroundings. The novel is renowned for its humor, its evocative descriptions of the American frontier, and its exploration of themes such as friendship, morality, and the search for identity. more
Author
Mark Twain, born Samuel Langhorne Clemens, was a renowned American author and humorist in the 19th century. His works are characterized by humor, satire, and profound social insight, with notable novels such as 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer' and 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'. more
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“There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is having lots to do and not doing it.”
“To work hard, to live hard, to die hard, and then go to hell after all would be too damn hard.”
“There is more to life than making a living. Do not work more than you live.”