Quotes About Literature

Do you know, I've always believed there's no such thing as a moral or immoral book. Books are well written or badly written—that's all.

It had come about ex­act­ly in the way things hap­pened in books.

People should be interested in books, not their authors.

The things young women read nowadays and profess to enjoy positively frighten me.

It is deplorable...to remove all the romance - all the mystery!

One gets infected, it is true, by the style of a work that one has been reading.

Edna restored the toffee to the centre of her tongue and sucking pleasurably, resumed her typing of Naked Love by Armand Levine. Its painstaking eroticism left her uninterested--as indeed it did most of Mr. Levine's readers, in spite of his efforts. He was a notable example of the fact that nothing can be duller than dull pornography.

I'm afraid I always find Shakespeare terribly dreary. All those long scenes where everybody is drunk and it's supposed to be funny.

What's wrong with Shakespeare?" I{Jerry} inquired in interest. " Twisting himself up to say things in such a difficult way that you can't get at what he means. Still, I like some Shakespeare.

When people ask "Do you put real people in your books?" the answer is that, for me, it is quite impossible to write about anyone I know, or have ever spoken to, or indeed have even heard about! For some reason, it kills them for me stone dead.

And, frankly, I don't like murder. It's the sort of thing that's fun to read about in the paper or to read yourself to sleep with in the way of a nice book. But the real thing isn't so good.

One needs some really good food and drink after all the magnificent blood and gloom of Macbeth. Shakespeare always makes me ravenous

I'm not very good at telling things. I mean if I write things, I get them perfectly clear, but if I talk, it always sounds the most frightful muddle.

If anyone is really determined to lend you a book, you never can get out of it!

You have a great advantage as a writer, Monsieur,' said Poirot. 'You can relieve your feelings by expedient of the printed word. You have the power of the pen over your enemies.

Det kan du stole på. Liker du detektivfortellinger? Det gjør jeg. Jeg leser alle sammen, og har navnetrekkene til Dorothy Sayers og Agatha Christie og Dickson Carr og H.C. Bailey.

Ele disse: 'A vida não pode realmente ser resolvida por máximas admiráveis tiradas da literatura moderna. Lembre-se de que a natureza tem os dentes e as garras rubros.

Sarah said frowning: "I don't understand doctor Gerard. He seems to think - " "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark," quoted Poirot. "You see, I know your Shakespeare.

By the way, I should like to make it clear here and now that the story will not be a story of South Africa. I guarantee no genuine local colour -- you know the sort of thing -- half a dozen words in italic on every page. I admire it very much, but I can't do it.

manner. He was very apologetic. So early

In novels, I have noticed, anonymous letters of a foul and disgusting character are never shown, if possible, to women. It is implied that women must at all cost be shielded from the shock it might give their delicate nervous systems. I am sorry to say it never occurred to me not to show the letter to Joanna. I handed it to her at once.

You've been reading G. K. Chesterton," I said, and Lawrence did not deny it.

I can't say I've ever had time to read any of the stories. When I do get time for reading, which isn't very often, I prefer an improving book.

Le passé en lui-même est un très mauvais matériau pour la littérature. La littérature est un présent brûlant, non au sens journalistique, mais comme une aspiration à transcender le temps en une présence éternelle