9377 quotes by novelists for you to enjoy

I do worry that it's impossible to write something original, that there's nothing that a human hasn't already thought of. But I can put it out of my mind and get on with what I'm doing. Arthur Phillips

Impossible Mind Thought Nothing Worry Out Something Write Put Doing Get Human Original

I like Shakespeare. I like some of his work a lot. Arthur Phillips

Work Some Shakespeare Like His Lot

When a character bears the same name as the author it's just an invitation to have some fun. Arthur Phillips

Character Some Bears Invitation Name Author Same Just Fun

Fiction is able to do one thing better than any other art form: it is able to convey a convincing sense of what is going on in someone else's head. To me, that is the great mystery of life: what is everyone else thinking? Arthur Phillips

Life Art Great Me Better Sense Thinking Other Else Everyone Everyone Else One Thing Able Someone Mystery Head Art Form Than Any Going Fiction Form Convey Convincing Thing

As a rule, I am lazy and prefer to avoid anything resembling work, and research feels like work, as opposed to my strong suit, which is sitting around making things up. Arthur Phillips

I am notorious for always having two beagles with me, in any and all circumstances. Arthur Phillips

Me Circumstances Having Always Am Any Notorious Two

It would be hard to exaggerate Ernest Hemingway's influence over American literature, but his influence on our lives is probably larger still. Arthur Phillips

Our Our Lives Would Would-Be Exaggerate Over Still His American Influence Literature American Literature Hard Hemingway Larger Lives

Caste is about dividing people up in ways that preclude every form of solidarity, because even in the lowest castes, there are divisions and sub-castes, and everyone's co-opted into the business of this hierarchical, silo-ised society. Arundhati Roy

Business People Every Society Everyone Ways Solidarity Hierarchical About Caste Dividing Divisions Because Up Form Lowest Even

I am very conscious that, from the time of 'The God of Small Things' was published 10 years ago, we are in a different world... which needs to be written about differently, and I really very much want to do that. Arundhati Roy

In a way, writing is an incredible act of individualism, producing your language, and yet to use it from the heart of a crowd as opposed to as an individual performance is a conflicting thing. I do stand alone, and yet it's not about being an individual or being ambitious. Arundhati Roy

You have come to a stage where you almost have to work on yourself. You know, on finding some tranquility with which to respond to these things, because I realize that the biggest risk that many of us run is beginning to get inured to the horrors. Arundhati Roy

Work You Yourself Beginning Stage Respond Run Finding Some Inured Risk Horrors Almost Come Know Because Get Tranquility Where Biggest Which Realize Us Many Things

The mullahs of the Islamic world and the mullahs of the Hindu world and the mullahs of the Christian world are all on the same side. And we are against them all. Arundhati Roy

World Christian Side Islamic Hindu Islamic World Same Against Them Christian World

I think one of the saddest things that's happening to literature is that it's getting over-simplified by this diet of simple political ideas. Arundhati Roy

Simple Political Think Saddest Ideas Getting Diet Happening Literature Things

There can be nothing more humiliating for a writer of fiction to have to do than restate a case that has already been made. Arundhati Roy

Made Nothing Humiliating Restate Case More Writer Been Than Fiction

When I decided to write 'The God of Small Things', I had been working in cinema. It was almost a decision to downshift from there. I thought that 300 people would read it. But it created a platform of trust. Arundhati Roy

God Small Things Trust People Cinema Decision Thought Would Small Write Had Almost Read Been Decided Created Working Platform Things

Years of imprisoning and beheading writers never succeeded in shutting them out. However, placing them in the heart of a market and rewarding them with a lot of commercial success, has. Arundhati Roy

Success Heart Market Out Writers Never However Years Lot Commercial Commercial Success Rewarding Placing Them Succeeded Shutting

I'm living to the edges of my fingernails, using everything I have. It's impossible for me to look at things politically or in any way as a project, to further my career. You're injected directly into the blood of the places in which you're living and what's going on there. Arundhati Roy

Pity the nation that has to silence its writers for speaking their minds. Arundhati Roy

Silence Nation Minds Writers Pity Speaking

I think people ease into this careerist professionalism, so if you're a writer it's your job to manufacture books as opposed to writing them and to go to festivals and spend your life emotionally invested in reviews or the awards. You have to shrink your universe in a way. To me, it's the opposite. Arundhati Roy

Life Me You People Writing Job Think Universe Spend Books Way Ease Invested Writer Emotionally Opposed Go Opposite Reviews Festivals Them Your Manufacture Professionalism Awards Shrink

I don't want to play these games of statistics any more; I have done that. I don't want to be imprisoned by that, or by the morality that is expected of activists. I have never been that pristine person, that role model. Arundhati Roy

Statistics Morality More Never Pristine Been Imprisoned Model Role Person Role Model Expected Any Done Want Games Activists Play

All my books are accidental books - they come from reacting to things and thinking about things and engaging in a real way. They are not about, 'Oh, did it get a good review in the Guardian?' I don't care. Arundhati Roy

Good Care Guardian Thinking Books Way About Come Reacting Real Accidental Review dont Care Get Did Oh Engaging Things

What happens is that your wretched memory remembers the words and forgets what's behind them. Augusto Roa Bastos

Memory Words Wretched Remembers Forgets Behind Happens Them Your

Quotes by Novelists