The novel is resilient, and so are novelists.
From John Banville
If I was asked to say what was the greatest invention of human beings, I would say the sentence.
Dostoevsky is such a bad writer it is hard to take him seriously as a novelist, though he is a wonderful philosopher.
The effect of prizes on one's career - if that is what to call it - is considerable, since they give one more clout with publishers and more notoriety among journalists. The effect on one's writing, however, is nil - otherwise, one would be in deep trouble.
When young writers approach me for advice, I remind them, as gently as I can, that they are on their own, with no help available anywhere. Which is how it should be.
I live in Dublin, God knows why. There are greatly more congenial places I could have settled in - Italy, France, Manhattan - but I like the climate here, and Irish light seems to be essential for me and for my writing.
I have this fantasy. I'm walking past a bookshop and I click my fingers and all my books go blank. So I can start again and get it right.
You know, artists don't really have all that much experience of life. We make a huge amount out of the small experience that we do have.
All art at a certain level is entertainment. We go to a tragedy by Sophocles to be entertained.
You can't write about fantasy without being ridiculous.
4 perspectives
3 perspectives
1 perspectives