[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f_zOzEQu95866KZ5VaNLWd4_SK-Vifqs5loQihOJd0nc":3,"$fftyd3rbqo9p8ZUljHxF9-qq3hjcMLt7bsYA8gYiIR7M":12},{"author":4,"tags":11},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":9,"bio_jsonld":9,"slug":10,"image_url":9},9165,"Michael Dirda","M",122,null,"michael-dirda",[],{"quotes":13,"pagination":77},[14,22,28,34,41,47,53,59,65,71],{"id":15,"quote_text":16,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":19,"source":20,"quote_tag":21,"commentary":9},3833337,"Reading books might itself be a bit weird, but obviously okay, since books were part of school, and doing well in school was clearly a good thing. But comics were more like candy, just flashy wrappers without any nourishment. Cheap thrills.",7,false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":23,"quote_text":24,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":25,"source":26,"quote_tag":27,"commentary":9},3833336,"In my own case, my folks didn't actually object to comics, as many parents did, but they pretty much felt the things were a waste of time.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":29,"quote_text":30,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":31,"source":32,"quote_tag":33,"commentary":9},3833335,"Any man's death diminishes us, but when an artist passes away, we lose not just an island but an entire archipelago.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":35,"quote_text":36,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":37,"source":38,"quote_tag":39,"commentary":40},3833333,"Young people looking for adventure fiction now generally turn to fantasy, but for those of a certain age, the spy thriller has long been the escape reading of choice.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],"**The Backstory**\nMichael Dirda, a renowned literary critic and Pulitzer Prize winner, likely wrote or said these words in the context of his love for spy thrillers. This quote may have originated from one of his essays or reviews, possibly during the 1980s or 1990s when spy fiction was experiencing a resurgence in popularity. As a critic and a reader, Dirda was keenly aware of the escapism offered by spy thrillers and how they appealed to readers seeking excitement and adventure.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nThe quote reveals a paradoxical truth about the human desire for escapism. On one hand, young people often turn to fantasy as a means of escape, suggesting a desire for a more idealized or fantastical world. On the other hand, older readers, who have likely experienced more of life's challenges, are drawn to the spy thriller, which offers a more grounded and realistic form of escapism. This tension highlights the complex relationship between escapism and maturity, suggesting that as we age, our tastes in escapism may shift from the idealized to the more nuanced and realistic.\n\n**How to Use This**\nTo apply this insight, consider that as you mature in your career or creative pursuits, your need for escapism may shift from the idealized to the more realistic. This could mean seeking out stories or experiences that reflect the complexities and nuances of real life, rather than solely idealized fantasies. By embracing this shift, you may find that your creative work or professional pursuits become more grounded and authentic, reflecting the depth and richness of your life experiences.",{"id":42,"quote_text":43,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":44,"source":45,"quote_tag":46,"commentary":9},3833331,"Many people know that Shakespeare's dramatic 'canon' was established in 1623 by the publication of the so-called First Folio. That hefty volume contained thirty-six plays.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":48,"quote_text":49,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":50,"source":51,"quote_tag":52,"commentary":9},3833330,"For me, the two weeks between Christmas and Twelfth Night have come to be reserved for desultory reading. The pressure of the holiday is over, the weather outside is frightful, there are lots of leftovers to munch on, vacation hours are being used up.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":54,"quote_text":55,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":56,"source":57,"quote_tag":58,"commentary":9},3833328,"I once read that there are more biographical works about Napoleon Bonaparte than any other man in history.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":60,"quote_text":61,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":62,"source":63,"quote_tag":64,"commentary":9},3833326,"From the late 19th to the early 20th century, the December issue of almost any general-interest magazine regularly featured a holiday horror or two.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":66,"quote_text":67,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":68,"source":69,"quote_tag":70,"commentary":9},3833323,"I suppose movie theaters are the churches of the modern age, where we gather reverently to worship the tinsel gods of Hollywood.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":72,"quote_text":73,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":74,"source":75,"quote_tag":76,"commentary":9},3833319,"It's a sad commentary on our time - to use a phrase much favored by my late father - that people increasingly celebrate Christmas Day by going to the movies.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"currentPage":78,"totalPages":79,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":80},1,13,10]