My Perfect Reader

My "perfect" reader is not a scholar but neither is he an ignoramus; he does not read because he has to, nor as a pastime, nor to make a splash in society, but because he is curious about many things, wishes to choose among them and does not wish to delegate this choice to anyone; he knows the limits of his competence and education, and directs his choices accordingly; in the present case he has with good will chosen my books and would experience irritation or pain if he did not understand line by line what I had written, indeed, have written for him: in fact I write for him and not for the critics, nor for the powerful of the earth, nor for myself. If he did not understand me, he would feel unjustly humiliated, and I would be guilty of a breach of contract.

PRIMO LEVI