22 Peter Carey Quotes for You to Enjoy

Peter Carey

Australian Novelist

Born: May 7, 1943

Always Life Me People Writing You

Related authors: Helen Garner James Clavell Janette Turner Hospital Julia Leigh Nick Earls Richard Flanagan Steve Toltz Thomas Keneally

I don't think you have the right to shout about other people's private life. Peter Carey

Life You People Think Other About Private Private Life Shout Right

What I find really attractive is something that's going to be a little dangerous. Something that might get me into trouble; you know, you turn up in London and you've just rewritten Dickens. And, of course, then you think, 'What have I done?' Peter Carey

Writers, at least writers of fiction, are always full of anxiety and worry. Peter Carey

Anxiety Worry Writers Always Least Fiction Full

Culture is the way for a country to know itself. Peter Carey

Culture Country Way Know Itself

Faulkner's 'As I Lay Dying' had an immense effect on me, and most of my novels bear the burn marks of this experience, those short chapters with their conflicting points of view, truth expressed by multiple perspectives. The other attractive thing about 'As I Lay Dying' was the way it gave rich voices to the poor. Peter Carey

Truth Me Experience Rich Other Gave Way Chapters Faulkner Marks Those Immense About Bear Lay Voices Points Had Most Attractive Effect Short Burn Dying Conflicting Poor Perspectives View Multiple Expressed Novels Thing

I used to say when I was younger, 'I'm exhausted; writers can only write for four hours a day and that's done.' Now I find, as I'm getting older and I'm more aware of time, I can actually write all day. Peter Carey

I like how they are. I think they're great. And their communities are communities. I have a greater sense of community in New York than almost anywhere I've ever lived. Really, it's terrific. Peter Carey

Great Sense Community Think Almost New Like Terrific Greater How Than York New York Anywhere Really Communities Lived Ever

I thought I would be an organic chemist. I went off to university, and when I couldn't understand the chemistry lectures I decided that I would be a zoologist, because zoologists seemed like life-loving people. Peter Carey

People Thought Chemistry Organic Would Would-Be Seemed Like Because Understand Chemist Lectures Off Decided University

I went to work in 1962, and by '64 I was writing all the time, every night and every weekend. It didn't occur to me that, having read nothing and knowing nothing, I was in no position to write a book. Peter Carey

Work Time Me Book Writing Nothing Every Having Weekend Write Knowing Read Occur Every Night Night Position

So in the first draft, I'm inventing people and place with a broad schematic idea of what's going to happen. In the process, of course, I discover all sorts of bigger and more substantial things. Peter Carey

People First Broad Inventing More Schematic Idea Sort Course Discover Going Substantial Happen Bigger Process Place Things Draft

At the very end of a book I can manage to work for longer stretches, but mostly, making stuff up for three hours, that's enough. I can't do any more. At the end of the day I might tinker with my morning's work and maybe write some again. But I think three hours is fine. Peter Carey

Work Day Morning Book End Of The Day Three Think Enough Fine Some More Write Stuff Longer Hours Mostly Making End Up Very Manage Tinker Any Maybe Again Might

Nostalgia is something we think of as fuzzy. But it's pain. Pain concerning the past. Peter Carey

Past Pain Think Fuzzy Something Concerning Nostalgia

It's true: one of the things that I've always thought about American society is that you never get the sort of natural politicisation of class consciousness that you would get in the United Kingdom or even in Australia. Peter Carey

You Class Natural Thought Society One Of The Things Would Class Consciousness Kingdom About Never True Sort Always Australia Get American American Society Even United United Kingdom Things Consciousness

I'm interested in where we are, where we're going, where we've come from. Peter Carey

Come Going Where Interested

I think there was, and there is, a real Commonwealth culture. It's different. America doesn't really feel to be a part of that. Peter Carey

Culture Think Part Feel Real America Different Commonwealth Really

I would be the worst person on earth to be called to write an account of someone else's life. Peter Carey

Life Else Earth Worst Would Would-Be Someone Write Account Person

There are people that you don't like because you're jealous of them until you meet them. And you haven't read their book because it's had so much attention. Then you meet them and discover they've been jealous of you, and you become friends. Peter Carey

Jealous You Book People Become Meet Had Attention Like Until Read Because Been Discover Friends Them Then Much Much Attention

Good writing of course requires talent, and no one can teach you to have talent. Peter Carey

Good You Writing No-One Good Writing Talent Course Requires Teach

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