Quotes by Novelists

Thinking is hard work. One can't bear burdens and ideas at the same time. Remy de Gourmont
Work Hard Work Time Thinking Bear Ideas Burdens Same Same Time Hard
The simplest things are often the truest. Richard Bach
Simplest Simplest Things Truest Often Things
If 30 Australians drowned in Sydney Harbour, it would be a national tragedy. But when 30 or more refugees drown off the Australian coast, it is a political question. Richard Flanagan
Political National Would Would-Be More Drown Drowned Question Off Tragedy Australian Australians Refugees Harbour Coast Sydney
Only white men have the luxury of ignoring race. Richard Powers
Luxury Men White Only Race Ignoring
Reading is the last act of secular prayer. Richard Powers
Prayer Secular Reading Act Last
I think that if people are instructed about anything, it should be about the nature of cruelty. And about why people behave so cruelly to each other. And what kind of satisfactions they derive from it. And why there is always a cost, and a price to be paid. Richard Russo
Nature People Cruelty Think Other Kind About Cost Price Instructed Always Behave Anything Should Paid Derive Each Why
The impulse to dream was slowly beaten out of me by experience. Now it surged up again and I hungered for books, new ways of looking and seeing. Richard Wright
Me Experience Looking Books Ways Out Dream Seeing Slowly Beaten New Up New Ways Impulse Again Now
Did they preach one thing and practice another, these men of God? Roald Dahl
God Men Practice Preach One Thing Another Did Thing
Writing monsters is fun, and it's easy. When I want one, I just reach under the bed and pull it out, kicking and screaming. Rob Thurman
Writing Monsters Kicking Out Easy Reach Bed Just Screaming Want Fun Pull
The remarkable thing about Shakespeare is that he really is very good, in spite of all the people who say he is very good. Robert Graves
Good People Say About Shakespeare Spite Remarkable He Very Really Who Thing
To be a poet is a condition rather than a profession. Robert Graves
Poet Rather Condition Than Profession
If one tries to think about history, it seems to me - it's like looking at a range of mountains. And the first time you see them, they look one way. But then time changes, the pattern of light shifts. Maybe you've moved slightly, your perspective has changed. The mountains are the same, but they look very different. Robert Harris
Time Me History You Light Perspective First Looking Mountains Think Changed Changes Way Range Slightly Tries See One-Way About Seems Like Look First Time Time Changes Shifts Very Same Maybe Moved Different Pattern Them Then Your
Greater economic power will be in the hands of too few. Robert Ludlum
Will Power Few Too Economic Economic Power Greater Hands
For what is a poem but a hazardous attempt at self-understanding: it is the deepest part of autobiography. Robert Penn Warren
Poem Hazardous Attempt Part Autobiography Deepest
A happy childhood has spoiled many a promising life. Robertson Davies
Life Happy Promising Spoiled Childhood Happy Childhood Many
You never see what you want to see, forever playing to the gallery. Robertson Davies
You See Never Forever Want Gallery Playing
I see Canada as a country torn between a very northern, rather extraordinary, mystical spirit which it fears and its desire to present itself to the world as a Scotch banker. Robertson Davies
World Fears Country Extraordinary Torn See Spirit Rather Mystical Between Itself Very Scotch Canada Northern Banker Which Present Desire
I wanted to write as well as I possibly could to deal with life-and-death problems in contemporary society. And the form of Wilkie Collins and Graham Greene, of Hammett and Chandler, seemed to offer me all the rope I would ever need. Ross MacDonald
Me Problems Society Possibly Would Seemed Collins Could Write Contemporary Contemporary Society Well Deal Offer Graham Graham Greene Wanted Form Rope Ever Need
The surprise with which a detective novel concludes should set up tragic vibrations which run backward through the entire structure. Ross MacDonald
Backward Run Detective Entire Structure Through Surprise Tragic Up Vibrations Which Should Novel Set
In an ideal world, you could reunite the Pakistan-occupied part of Kashmir with the Indian-occupied part and restore the old borders. You could have both India and Pakistan agreeing to guarantee those borders, demilitarise the area, and to invest in it economically. In a sane world that would happen, but we don't live in a sane world. Salman Rushdie
You World Old Live Those Would India Borders Restore Both Area Could Invest Part Ideal Ideal World Economically Happen Sane Kashmir Agreeing Pakistan Guarantee
An attack upon our ability to tell stories is not just censorship - it is a crime against our nature as human beings. Salman Rushdie
Nature Censorship Crime Our Tell Ability Attack Human Just Human Beings Stories Against Beings
The question I'm always asking myself is: are we masters or victims? Do we make history, or does history make us? Do we shape the world, or are we just shaped by it? The question of do we have agency in our lives or whether we are just passive victims of events is, I think, a great question, and one that I have always tried to ask. Salman Rushdie
Myself Great History World Events Think Our Our Lives Tried Shape Shaped Make Masters Does Always Passive Question Just Whether Victims Agency Ask Us Asking Lives
I accept there are people out there who don't like me. I don't like them. Salman Rushdie
Me People Out Like Accept Them Who
The response of anybody interested in liberty is that we all have a say and the ability to have an argument is exactly what liberty is, even though it may never be resolved. In any authoritarian society the possessor of power dictates, and if you try and step outside he will come after you. Salman Rushdie
You Liberty Try Will Argument Power Society Resolved Say Though Response Exactly Ability Exactly What Outside Never He Step Come Dictates Authoritarian Any May Anybody After Interested Even
The mistake of the West was to put the Sauds on the throne of Saudi Arabia and give them control of the world's oil fortune, which they then used to propagate Wahhabi Islam. Salman Rushdie
Mistake World Islam Control Arabia Give Throne Put West Oil Which Them Then Used Fortune Saudi Saudi Arabia
Books choose their authors; the act of creation is not entirely a rational and conscious one. Salman Rushdie
Creation Books Entirely Rational Authors Act Choose Conscious
Load more quotes
About
Site pages
Top Quotes
Authors
Today's birthdays
Copyright © Quotesia 2026