In literature as in love, we are astonished by what is chosen by others.
—André Maurois, 1940
In literature as in love, the most interesting parts are between the words.
—Mikhail Zhvanetsky, 2010
Literature is the orchestration of platitudes.
—Thornton Wilder, 1953
What is responsible for the success of many works is the rapport between the mediocrity of
the authors’ ideas and the mediocrity of the public.
—Nicolas Chamfort, 1796
There’s many a best-seller that could have been prevented by a good teacher.
—Flannery O'Connor, 1969
Today’s literature: prescriptions written by patients.
—Karl Kraus, 1976
***
This was a book to kill time for those who liked it better dead.
—Rose Macaulay, 1921
The covers of this book are too far apart.
—Ambrose Bierce
5
In every fat book there is a thin book trying to get out.
—Anonymous
6
Think much, say little, write less.
—European proverb
Vigorous writing is concise.
—William Strunk Jr., 1918
7
[Writing,] I try to leave out the parts that people skip.
—Elmore Leonard, 2009
I made this [letter] longer only because I have not had the leisure to make it shorter.
—Blaise Pascal, 1656
5
As quoted, without a date, in several major collections of his work.
6
Probably based on a similar joke about men by George Orwell (circa 1939).
7
This is a quote from Strunk’s wonderful little book The Elements of Style, later extended and
revised by his former student E. B. White, and currently available in its fourth edition (1999). See
also Dorothy Parker’s advice below.
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