“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” This quote by F. Scott Fitzgerald is without a doubt my favorite literary quote ever.

Ever.

I know, with the same certainty that I know the sun will rise tomorrow, that no quote will ever top this one. Is this because there is no other combination of words better than this?

No.

Is it that no one can write anything more poetic?

No.

The reason I know this will always be my favorite literary quote is it’s the one that made me fall unabashedly in love with literature. In essence, this quote was my first kiss. You never forget your first kiss. There will be other intimate moments, other ones that are more passionate, less awkward, more fulfilling. But you never forget the kiss that starts an obsession. Since these words of Fitzgerald’s passed over my lips for the first time, I’ve been an addict, seeking out novel after novel – searching for that orgiastic moment.

So what quote started your love affair with literature?