“I like the idea that the book is a machine that produces meaning.”
What this quote means
Perec compares the book to a machine that produces meaning, emphasizing that reading is an active process of creating significance. The book is not a passive object; it works when a reader activates it, and each reading generates new meanings. This idea celebrates the encounter between the written word and the mind, and reminds us that meaning is not fixed but built with each reading. It's a dynamic view of literature.
How to apply it daily
Pick a book you've already read and reread a significant passage. Note the new interpretations that emerge from this rereading.
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