Michael
https://www.goodreads.com/scharphedin
Michael
is currently reading
progress:
(page 84 of 238)
"“Looking out at the mountais, the guest said, ‘The true joy of a moonlit night is something we no longer understand. Only the men of old, when there were no lights, could understand the true joy of a moonlit night.’”" — Feb 22, 2026 02:44PM
"“Looking out at the mountais, the guest said, ‘The true joy of a moonlit night is something we no longer understand. Only the men of old, when there were no lights, could understand the true joy of a moonlit night.’”" — Feb 22, 2026 02:44PM
“music heard so deeply
That it is not heard at all, but
you are the music
While the music lasts.”
― Collected Poems, 1909-1962
That it is not heard at all, but
you are the music
While the music lasts.”
― Collected Poems, 1909-1962
“When we're incomplete, we're always searching for somebody to complete us. When, after a few years or a few months of a relationship, we find that we're still unfulfilled, we blame our partners and take up with somebody more promising. This can go on and on--series polygamy--until we admit that while a partner can add sweet dimensions to our lives, we, each of us, are responsible for our own fulfillment. Nobody else can provide it for us, and to believe otherwise is to delude ourselves dangerously and to program for eventual failure every relationship we enter.”
―
―
“Just being is the main thing. Anything else is extra.”
― The City of Trembling Leaves
― The City of Trembling Leaves
“What we call our destiny is truly our character and that character can be altered. The knowledge that we are responsible for our actions and attitudes does not need to be discouraging, because it also means that we are free to change this destiny. One is not in bondage to the past, which has shaped our feelings, to race, inheritance, background. All this can be altered if we have the courage to examine how it formed us. We can alter the chemistry provided we have the courage to dissect the elements.”
― The Diary of Anaïs Nin, Vol. 1: 1931-1934
― The Diary of Anaïs Nin, Vol. 1: 1931-1934
“Mahler put the word schwer beside certain passages in his musical scores. Meaning “difficult.” “Heavy.” We were told this at some point by The Moth, as if it was a warning. He said we needed to prepare for such moments in order to deal with them efficiently, in case we suddenly had to take control of our wits. Those times exist for all of us, he kept saying. Just as no score relies on only one pitch or level of effort from musicians in the orchestra. Sometimes it relies on silence. It was a strange warning to be given, to accept that nothing was safe anymore. “ ‘Schwer,’ ” he’d say, with his fingers gesturing the inverted commas, and we’d mouth the word and then the translation, or simply nod in weary recognition. My sister and I got used to parroting the word back to each other—“schwer.”
― Warlight
― Warlight
European Literature in Translation
— 171 members
— last activity Jun 11, 2025 11:08AM
This group explores European literature in translation (i.e. it generally excludes works originally written in English, but we are bound to wander at ...more
Scandinavian & Nordic Literature
— 232 members
— last activity Jun 18, 2022 08:13AM
This reading group emphasizes literature originating from Scandinavia and the Nordic countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland) includ ...more
Goodreads Librarians Group
— 317283 members
— last activity 0 minutes ago
Goodreads Librarians are volunteers who help ensure the accuracy of information about books and authors in the Goodreads' catalog. The Goodreads Libra ...more
Classics and the Western Canon
— 4953 members
— last activity Mar 22, 2026 05:32AM
This is a group to read and discuss those books generally referred to as “the classics” or “the Western canon.” Books which have shaped Western though ...more
The Readers Review: Literature from 1714 to 1910
— 3766 members
— last activity 9 minutes ago
This is a group for discerning readers looking to discover, explore, and critically discuss some of the World’s literature, with a primary emphasis on ...more
Michael’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Michael’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
More friends…
Favorite Genres
Art, Biography, Classics, Crime, Fiction, Historical fiction, History, Horror, Philosophy, Poetry, and Science fiction
Polls voted on by Michael
Lists liked by Michael
























































