Anne Tyler Quotes

Novelist

Anne Tyler is a renowned American contemporary novelist, born on October 25, 1941. Her works are known for their delicate psychological portrayals and unique narrative style, and she has won numerous American literary awards.

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Famous Anne Tyler Quotes

“I think I was born with the impression that what happened in books was much more reasonable, and interesting, and real, in some ways, than what happened in life.”

Thinking Way Book Real Born Interesting Happened Impression Reasonable

Author:Anne Tyler

“I love to think about chance - about how one little overheard word, one pebble in a shoe, can change the universe.”

Thinking Littles Universe Chance Luck Shoes Pebbles

Author:Anne Tyler

“Ever consider what pets must think of us? I mean, here we come back from a grocery store with the most amazing haul - chicken, pork, half a cow. They must think we're the greatest hunters on earth!”

Source: Anne Tyler: a new collection : three complete novels

“I'm beginning to think that maybe it's not just how much you love someone. Maybe what matters is who you are when you're with them.”

Thinking Matter Fun Who You Are What Matters Love Someone Romantic Movie Love How Much You Love Someone

Author:Anne Tyler

“You think we're a family,' Cody said, turning back. 'You think we're some jolly, situation-comedy family when we're in particles, torn apart, torn all over the place, and our mother was a witch.”

Thinking Said Mother Situation Comedy Witch Torn Particles Jolly Torn Apart

Book:Anne Tyler: Four Complete Novels

Source: Anne Tyler: Four Complete Novels

“I mean you're given all these lessons for the unimportant things--piano-playing, typing. You're given years and years of lessons in how to balance equations, which Lord knows you will never have to do in normal life. But how about parenthood? Or marriage, either, come to think of it. Before you can drive a car you need a state-approved course of instruction, but driving a car is nothing, nothing, compared to living day in and day out with a husband and raising up a new human being.”

“I do write long, long character notes - family background, history, details of appearance - much more than will ever appear in the novel. I think this is what lifts a book from that early calculated, artificial stage.”

Thinking Writing Long Book Character Literature Novel Stage Notes Details Appearance Backgrounds Lifts Artificial Family Background

Author:Anne Tyler

“But what I hope for from a book - either one that I write or one that I read - is transparency. I want the story to shine through. I don't want to think of the writer.”

Thinking Want Writing Book Stories Literature Shining Transparency

Author:Anne Tyler

“I don't want to say I hear voices; well, actually I do hear voices, but I don't think it's supernatural. I think it's just that when characters are given enough texture and backbone, then lo and behold, they stand on their own.”

Thinking Want Wells Enough Character Given Voice Texture Backbone

Author:Anne Tyler

“I think it must be very hard to be one of the new young writers who are urged to put themselves forward when it may be the last thing on earth they'd be good at”

Thinking May Hard Earth Lasts Young Be Good Young Writers

Author:Anne Tyler

“I remember leaving the hospital - thinking, 'Wait, are they going to let me just walk off with him? I don't know beans about babies! I don't have a license to do this.' We're just amateurs.”

Thinking Knows Remember Literature Waiting Walks Baby Let Me Leaving Hospitals License Hospitality Beans

Author:Anne Tyler

“But I don't think people take bad advice. They've got intuition too, you know. In fact I'd be surprised if they take any advice at all.”

People Ifs Thinking Knows Facts Advice Intuition Bad Advice

Book:Anne Tyler: a new collection : three complete novels

Source: Anne Tyler: a new collection : three complete novels

“I've always thought sleep was a wonderful invention. Not that being awake isn't nice too, of course. But when I get up in the morning, I think, boy, only fourteen more hours and I can be back to sleep again ... And I never dream, because it distracts my mind from pure sleeping.”

Thinking Mind I Can Dream Courses Hours Sleep Boys Morning Nice Wonderful Pure Invention Get Up Awake Fourteen

Book:If Morning Ever Comes

Source: If Morning Ever Comes

“I never think about the actual process of writing. I suppose I have a superstition about examining it too closely.”

Thinking Writing Literature Process Superstitions Examining

Author:Anne Tyler

“Not until the final draft do I force myself to remember that I'm going to have to think about how it will affect other people.”

People Thinking Remember Literature Force Finals

Author:Anne Tyler

About the Author

Born: October 25, 1941
Known for: Novelist
Quotes: 135

Books & Sources

Anne Tyler: a new collection : three complete novelsRelated source material

Anne Tyler: Four Complete NovelsRelated source material

Celestial NavigationRelated source material

Saint MaybeRelated source material

Dinner at the Homesick RestaurantRelated source material

The Beach Book Bundle: 3 Novels for Summer Reading: Breathing Lessons, The Alphabet Sisters, Firefly SummerRelated source material

Back When We Were GrownupsRelated source material

The Amateur MarriageRelated source material

A Spool of Blue ThreadRelated source material

Back when We Were Grownups: A NovelRelated source material

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