Who really said it
Alcott wrote the sentence in chapter 2 of Work: A Story of Experience (1873). Liz Smith later quoted it with credit to Alcott; she was not its author.
Last verified 9 Nov 2026 · how we verify · spot an error?
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Verified quote & credit
“She Is Too Fond of Books, and It Has Turned Her Brain” — Louisa May Alcott
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Provenance
She is too fond of books, and it has turned her brain.
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The English novel was published in 1873 and is public domain in the United States.
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Fact-check
The wording with turned is genuine. Replacing it with addled changes the original text; credit belongs to Alcott, not later columnist Liz Smith.
Alcott wrote the sentence in chapter 2 of Work: A Story of Experience (1873). Liz Smith later quoted it with credit to Alcott; she was not its author. Check the evidence
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The author
For writers & researchers
Work: A Story of Experience, chapter 2. 1873. Evidence and bibliographical details reproduced in the linked source; no independent access to an original edition is claimed unless stated.
Quotle.info. “Who really said ‘She Is Too Fond of Books, and It Has Turned Her Brain’?” Last verified 9 Nov 2026. https://quotle.info/who-said/she-is-too-fond-of-books-and-it-has-turned-her-brain/