9 Ismail Kadare Quotes for You to Enjoy

Ismail Kadare

Albanian Novelist

Born: Jan 28, 1936

Freedom Life Me Natural Work Writing

Related authors: Charles Dickens Ernest Hemingway Gustave Flaubert James Baldwin John Updike Leo Rosten Paulo Coelho Walter Scott

In general, literature is a natural adversary of totalitarianism. Tyrannical governments all view literature in the same way: as their enemy. I lived for a long time in a totalitarian state, and I know firsthand that horror. Ismail Kadare

The great universal literature has always had a tragic relation with freedom. The Greeks renounced absolute freedom and imposed order on chaotic mythology, like a tyrant. Ismail Kadare

Great Freedom Relation Chaotic Tyrant Absolute Absolute Freedom Had Mythology Like Always Imposed Tragic Greeks Order Literature Universal

Guidebooks used to write the name of my city in two ways: Gjirokaster in Albanian, and Argyrokastron for foreigners. The classical-sounding name somehow gave it better credentials, because people in the Balkans famously exaggerate and often call their villages cities. Ismail Kadare

People Better Gave Ways Cities City Exaggerate Somehow Write Name Call Because Balkans Foreigners Often Used Villages Credentials Two

If I manage to write something that I consider good and valuable in a particular place, that spot automatically has a special aura for me. In Albania, there are two cities where I have written the majority of my work: Gjirokaster, my home city, and Tirana. Ismail Kadare

I work only in the morning from 10 to noon. I still write by hand. I interrupt my writing when I feel that I've discovered something beautiful or, on the contrary, when I feel discontent. Ismail Kadare

Work Beautiful Morning Writing On The Contrary Something Only Write Feel Discontent Still Noon Discovered Hand Contrary Interrupt

Dictatorship and authentic literature are incompatible... The writer is the natural enemy of dictatorship. Ismail Kadare

Natural Enemy Dictatorship Writer Authentic Literature Incompatible

I am of the opinion that I am not a political writer, and, moreover, that as far as true literature is concerned, there actually are no political writers. I think that my writing is no more political than ancient Greek theatre. I would have become the writer I am in any political regime. Ismail Kadare

Theatre Writing Political Become Think Ancient Would More Moreover Writer Writers True Concerned Opinion Am Greek Than Any As Far As Literature Regime Far Actually

If you are a serious writer or just a normal one, in one way or another, you are writing in the service of freedom. All writers know, understand, or dream that their work will be in the service of freedom. Ismail Kadare

Work Service Freedom You Writing Will Way Dream All Writers One-Way Writer Writers Know Another Understand Normal Just Serious

Having spent the greater part of my life under a Communist dictatorship, I am very familiar with the Bolshevik mentality according to which an author in general, and an eminent author in particular, is always guilty, and must be punished accordingly. Ismail Kadare

Life Dictatorship My Life Spent Punished Guilty Must General Having Mentality Eminent Part Particular Greater Always Am According Accordingly Very Familiar Author Which Communist Bolshevik

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