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Cyril Connolly

Cyril Connolly Quotes

Critic

Cyril Connolly was a prominent British literary critic and writer, known for his profound insights into modern literature and culture. His works include literary criticism, novels, and essays, with his most famous works being 'The Enemies' and 'The Private Papers of Henry Ryecroft'. Connolly's writing style was unique, characterized by satire and wit.

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All Literature Writing Men People Ifs Art Atheism Hate Made Past Two Wells Book Civilization Dream Love May Positive Atheism Self Should

Famous Cyril Connolly Quotes

“The books I haven't written are better than the books other people have.”

People Writing Book Work Written Havens Career Success

Author:Cyril Connolly

“Failure on the other hand is infectious. The world is full of charming failures (for all charming people have something to conceal, usually their total dependence on the appreciation of others) and unless the writer is quite ruthless with these amiable footlers, they will drag him down with them.”

People World Hands Appreciation Drag Charming Dependence Ruthless Amiable Appreciation Of Others

Book:Enemies of promise and other essays: an autobiography of ideas

Source: Enemies of promise and other essays: an autobiography of ideas

“The shock, for an intelligent writer, of discovering for the first time that there are people younger than himself who think him stupid is severe.”

People Thinking Firsts Stupid First Time Intelligent Stupidity Shock Discovering Severe

Book:Enemies of promise and other essays: an autobiography of ideas

Source: Enemies of promise and other essays: an autobiography of ideas

“All charming people have something to conceal, usually their total dependence on the appreciation of others.”

People Literature Ego Appreciation Charm Charming Dependence Appreciation Of Others Dependence On Others Appreciation In Relationships

Author:Cyril Connolly

“Civilization is maintained by a very few people in a small number of places and we need only some bombs and a few prisons to blot it out altogether.”

People Needs Literature Numbers Civilization Prison Terrorism Bombs Small Numbers

Author:Cyril Connolly

“Two weeks before his death, a friend asked him half jokingly if he had discovered any meaning in life. "Yes," he replied, "there is a meaning; at least, for me, there is one thing that matters - to set a chime of words tinkling in the minds of a few fastidious people."”

People Ifs Mind Two Matter Half One Thing Week Two Weeks Things That Matter Meaning Life Chimes Fastidious

Book:Ideas and Places

Source: Ideas and Places

“Marriage is the permanent conversation between two people who talk over everything and everyone until death breaks the record.”

People Two Marriage Break Records Conversation Permanent

Author:Cyril Connolly

“Most people do not believe in anything very much and our greatest poetry is given to us by those who do.”

People Believe Given Poetry Is Greatest Poetry

Author:Cyril Connolly

“A mutually fulfilled sexual union between two people is the rarest sensation which life can provide. But it is not quite real. It stops when the telephone rings. Such a passion can be kept at its early strength only by adding to it either more and more unhappiness (jealousy, separation, doubt, renunciation), or more and more artificiality (drink, technique, stage-illusions). Whoever has missed this has never lived, who lives for it alone is but partly alive.”

People Two Real Passion Doubt Alive Stage Drink Illusion Unions Technique Rings Separation Unhappiness Sensations Fulfilled Telephones Renunciation Artificiality

Author:Cyril Connolly

“We may assume that we keep people waiting symbolically because we do not wish to see them and that our anxiety is due not to being late, but to having to see them at all.”

People May Wish Waiting Anxiety Late Assuming Dues Punctual

Author:Cyril Connolly

“Promise is the capacity for letting people down.”

People Promise Capacity

Book:Enemies of Promise

Source: Enemies of Promise

About the Author

Born: September 10, 1903
Died: November 26, 1974
Known for: Critic
Quotes: 171

Related Topics

Literature Writing Men People Ifs Art Atheism Hate Made Past Two Wells Book Civilization Dream Love May Positive Atheism Self Should

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

Enemies of PromiseRelated source material

Cyril Connolly: journal and memoirRelated source material

Enemies of promise and other essays: an autobiography of ideasRelated source material

The Condemned PlaygroundRelated source material

The evening colonnadeRelated source material

Ideas and PlacesRelated source material

The Unquiet Grave: A Word Cycle by PalinurusRelated source material

The selected essays of Cyril ConnollyRelated source material

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