Quotes by Novelists

I don't read for amusement, I read for enlightenment. I do a lot of reviewing, so I have a steady assignment of reading. I'm also a judge for the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards, which gives awards to literature and nonfiction. Joyce Carol Oates
Book Judge Reading Steady Gives Also Read Nonfiction Lot Reviewing Literature Which Awards Assignment Enlightenment Amusement
The man I am will always raise a protest against the man I wanted to be and the two will live together to the end, but the man I wanted to be will be the one on whom judgement will be passed. Julien Green
Man Together Will Live Judgement Protest Always Am Passed End Wanted Against Whom Raise Two
If India hadn't become a troubled space for me, somehow I wouldn't have any reason to write about it. So the fact that it's a lost love, or something, is why I keep thinking about it obsessively. Karan Mahajan
Love Me Space Become Lost Thinking India About Somehow Something Fact Troubled Write Lost Love Any Reason Keep Why
The male muse is an unaccountably rare thing in art. Where does that leave female artists looking for inspiration? Kate Christensen
Art Rare Looking Rare Thing Inspiration Female Female Artists Does Leave Male Male Artists Artists Where Thing Muse
Nostalgia is a powerful drug. Under its influence, ordinary songs take on dimensions and powers, like emotional superheroes. Kate Christensen
Dimensions Superheroes Emotional Take Songs Powerful Like Powers Influence Nostalgia Ordinary
There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. Kenneth Grahame
Worth Half Nothing About Absolutely Absolutely Nothing Simply Messing Doing Boats Much
One of the dreams on my wish list is to spend more time in Thailand. Kevin Kwan
Dreams Time Wish Spend More Wish List Thailand List
It's not normal to go into a house and see a pond in the middle of the living room full of baby sharks. It's not normal to go to someone's garage and see a private plane. Kevin Kwan
Sharks Living Baby See Someone House Go Private Normal Middle Pond Room Plane Full Garage Living Room
Nothing happens in a vacuum in life: every action has a series of consequences, and sometimes it takes a long time to fully understand the consequences of our actions. Khaled Hosseini
Life Time Sometimes Long Long Time Nothing Action Every Consequences Our Takes Understand Happens Fully Actions Series Vacuum
The Taliban's acts of cultural vandalism - the most infamous being the destruction of the giant Bamiyan Buddhas - had a devastating effect on Afghan culture and the artistic scene. The Taliban burned countless films, VCRs, music tapes, books, and paintings. They jailed filmmakers, musicians, painters, and sculptors. Khaled Hosseini
Music Musicians Culture Destruction Films Books Giant Vandalism Scene Devastating Had Buddhas Countless Most Taliban Cultural Infamous Tapes Effect Afghan Artistic Jailed Being Burned Painters Paintings Acts Filmmakers
If you can't annoy somebody, there's little point in writing. Kingsley Amis
You Writing Somebody Point Annoy Little
God tempers the wind to the shorn lamb. Laurence Sterne
God Wind Lamb
Of all the cants which are canted in this canting world, - though the cant of hypocrites may be the worst, - the cant of criticism is the most tormenting! Laurence Sterne
World Criticism Worst Though Hypocrites Most May Which Cant
The most accomplished way of using books is to serve them as some people do lords; learn their titles and then brag of their acquaintance. Laurence Sterne
People Some People Books Way Some Most Learn Lords Brag Accomplished Titles Acquaintance Them Then Using Serve
Thailand was never a European colony, so even though the city is very Western on the surface, deep down it's very Asian. It's quite enigmatic, and I like that. I can't get to the bottom of Bangkok, and I never will. Lawrence Osborne
Will Down Though City Colony Never Bottom Like Surface Western Very Thailand Get Bangkok Quite Asian European Deep Deep Down Even Enigmatic
And all people live, Not by reason of any care they have for themselves, But by the love for them that is in other people. Leo Tolstoy
Love People Care Live Other All People Any Them Themselves Reason
Shame doesn't exist as an emotion without the projected or perceived sense of judgment coming from somewhere else. Leslie Jamison
Somewhere Judgment Sense Else Projected Perceived Shame Somewhere Else Emotion Without Coming Exist
Do the things you know, and you shall learn the truth you need to know. Louisa May Alcott
Truth You Shall Know Learn Things Need
'Stay' is a charming word in a friend's vocabulary. Louisa May Alcott
Word Stay Vocabulary Charming Friend
Conceit spoils the finest genius. There is not much danger that real talent or goodness will be overlooked long; even if it is, the consciousness of possessing and using it well should satisfy one, and the great charm of all power is modesty. Louisa May Alcott
Great Genius Will Long Power Goodness Danger Possessing Finest Charm Spoils Conceit Talent Well Real Overlooked Modesty Much Should Using Even Satisfy Consciousness
'Little Night' has layers of meaning. There's something enchanted about night. All those heavenly bodies, shooting stars, the crescent moon, celestial phenomenon. Owls fly at night, and first kisses happen. Night is romantic. Alternately, darkness hides the worst of human behavior. Luanne Rice
Darkness Behavior Fly Moon First Stars Those Worst Hides About Something Kisses Layers Enchanted Celestial Shooting Owls Heavenly Human Heavenly Bodies Human Behavior Romantic Happen Little Meaning Bodies Night Phenomenon
Filtering can be a very good thing when it comes to human relationships and familial harmony. Yeah, filtering is often an absolute necessity. Lynn Coady
Good Filtering Harmony Relationships Absolute Absolute Necessity Good Thing Yeah Very Often Human Human Relationships Thing Necessity
I like the fact that in ancient Chinese art the great painters always included a deliberate flaw in their work: human creation is never perfect. Madeleine L'Engle
Work Art Great Creation Ancient Deliberate Fact Perfect Never Like Always Human Chinese Flaw Painters Included
To me, there is nothing more soothing than the song of a mosquito that can't get through the mesh to bite you. Madison Smartt Bell
Me You Song Mosquito Nothing Bite More Through Soothing Mesh Than Get
Haiti was founded by African slaves who rose against their European masters, had a revolution, and created a new state. There is no other such event in Western history. Madison Smartt Bell
History Revolution Rose Other State Had New Haiti Masters Western African Against Created Who European Event Founded Slaves
I've been very lucky and I have a happy old age with good family and friends still around. Maeve Binchy
Good Family Age Happy Old Old Age Around Still Been Friends Very Family And Friends Lucky Good Family
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