Quotes About Storytelling

We all create stories to protect ourselves

One sinking ship after another, in fact that was the conclusion to every single story he told, so that we, his strange audience, learned not to wonder about the end but paid more attention to the tale preceding the end, those distinguishing events before the inevitable rush of icy water, whirlpools . . .

Yes, often, I am reminded of her, and in one of my vast array of pockets, I have kept her story to retell. It is one of the small legion I carry, each one extraordinary in its own right. Each one an attempt- an immense leap of an attempt- to prove to me that you, and your human existence, are worth it. Here it is. One of a handful. The Book Thief. If you feel like it, come with me. I will tell you a story. I'll show you something.

You're far from this. This story is just another few hundred pages of your mind.

Words are life, Liesel.

No mezclo nada, sólo repito lo que dijiste. Lo que uno cuenta y lo que sucede de verdad no suele coincidir, Rudy, sobre todo contigo.

There was once a strange small man but there was a word shaker too.

I'm spoiling the ending, not only of the entire book, but of this particular piece of it. I have given you two events in advance, because I don't have much interest in building mystery. Mystery bores me. It chores me. I know what happens and so do you. It's the machinations that wheel us there that aggravate, perplex, interest, and astound me.

He's telling Liesel's story to prove to himself that humans can be beautiful and selfless and worthwhile.

No mezclo nada, sólo repito lo que tu dijiste. Lo que uno cuenta y lo que sucede de verdad no suele coincidir, Rudy, sobre todo contigo.

Chapter One: It was quite fitting that the entire town was sleeping when the dream carrier was born...

I thought you might be too old for such a tale, but maybe no one is.

I know what happens and so do you. It's the machinations that wheel us there that aggravate, perplex, interest, and astound me. There are many things to think of. There is much story.

For at least twenty minutes, she handed out the story.

Max, she said. He turned and briefly closed his eyes as the girl continued. 'There was once a strange, small man,' she said. Her arms were loose but her hands were fists at her side. But there was a word shaker, too.

She seemed to collect the words in her hand, pat them together, and hurl them across the table.

Ich erinnerte mich, wie der Baronet mir erzählt hatte, dass

situation and so curious as to our destination that my stories were slightly involved. To this day she declares that I told her one moving anecdote as to how a musket looked into my tent at the dead of night, and how I fired a double-barrelled tiger cub at it.

Esta vez, Watson, califíqueme en su relato como de burro completo.

The first object of a novelist, is to tell a tale. If he has no story to tell, what is he there for? Possibly he has something to say which is worth saying, but he should say it in another form.

Even now that he is gone I have him still, in the richness of my memories. I've lived my life again just telling it to you.

Denn indem ich Ihnen all dies erzaehlte, habe ich mein Leben noch einmal gelebt.

The business of the novelist is not to relate great events, but to make small ones interesting.

The task of the novelist is not to narrate great events but to make small ones interesting.