#con

I think of novels in architectural terms. You have to enter at the gate, and this gate must be constructed in such a way that the reader has immediate confidence in the strength of the building. ↗

— Ian Mcewan

#building #confidence #constructed #enter #gate

Novelists have to be adept at controlling the flow of information, and, most crucially, they have to be in charge of the narrative. ↗

— Ian Mcewan

#charge #controlling #crucially #flow #information

One important theme is the extent to which one can ever correct an error, especially outside any frame of religious forgiveness. All of us have done something we regret - how we manage to remove that from our conscience, or whether that's even possible, interested me. ↗

— Ian Mcewan

#conscience #correct #done #error #especially

Scientists do stand on the shoulders of giants, just as do writers. Conversely, in the arts we do make discoveries. We do refine our tools. So I am arguing with, or at least playing with, the idea that art never improves. ↗

— Ian Mcewan

#arguing #art #arts #conversely #discoveries

When I began I thought that literature was contained within a bubble that somehow floated above the world commented upon by newspapers. But I became more and more interested in trying to include some of that world within my work. ↗

— Ian Mcewan

#became #began #bubble #commented #contained

You enter a state of controlled passivity, you relax your grip and accept that even if your declared intention is to justify the ways of God to man, you might end up interesting your readers rather more in Satan. ↗

— Ian Mcewan

#controlled #declared #end #enter #even

It may seem a hard task to condemn fellow creatures to long years of confinement in prison, but it is not so hard if they clearly deserve it. ↗

— Thomas Mellon

#condemn #confinement #creatures #deserve #fellow

It ain't easy to break out of a mold, but if you do your work, people will ultimately see what you're capable of. Too often, people find it easier to make assumptions and stick with what they believe. They put you in a place and it makes their job easier. The good people constantly search for something different. ↗

— Christopher Meloni

#believe #break #capable #constantly #different

I still have a dream of one day - I would love to hire a semi-retired contractor and just build a house - him and I building a house for me. I would truly love to do that. ↗

— Christopher Meloni

#building #contractor #day #dream #him

Life is a constant oscillation between the sharp horns of dilemmas. ↗

— H. L. Mencken

#constant #dilemmas #horns #life #life is a