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Elizabeth Bowen

Elizabeth Bowen Quotes

Novelist

Elizabeth Bowen was an Irish-born British novelist known for her intricate psychological portrayals and profound insights into British society from the late Victorian era to the mid-20th century. Her works often focus on female characters, exploring themes of family, love, class, and identity.

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Famous Elizabeth Bowen Quotes

“But here I do see how everyone feels." "I wonder if I like that," said Eddie. "I suspect how people feel, and that seems to me bad enough—I wonder if the truth would be worse or better. The truth, of course I mean, about other people. I know only too well how I feel.”

Feelings Knowledge Awareness Emotions Dialogue Ignorance Is Bliss Other People Elizabeth Bowen The Death Of The Heart

Book:The Death Of The Heart

Source: The Death Of The Heart

“What do you want me to say?" "I wish you would say something. Our life goes by without any comment.”

Life Dialogue Unsatisfied Elizabeth Bowen The Death Of The Heart Say Something Life Goes By

Book:The Death Of The Heart

Source: The Death Of The Heart

“You don't much like anything, do you?" "No, nothing," said Anna, smiling her nice fat malign smile.”

Dialogue Dislike Discontent Unsatisfied Elizabeth Bowen The Death Of The Heart

Book:The Death Of The Heart

Source: The Death Of The Heart

“You think I exaggerate." "At the moment—" "Well, this sort of moment never really stops . . .”

Eternal Dialogue Elizabeth Bowen The Death Of The Heart Neverending

Book:The Death Of The Heart

Source: The Death Of The Heart

“He left her and looked round for his glass again. Meanwhile, he said to himself in a quoting voice: "We are minor in everything but our passions." "Wherever did you read that?" "Nowhere: I woke up and heard myself saying it, one night." "How pompous you were in the night. I'm so glad I was asleep.”

Humor Dialogue Pompous Passions Elizabeth Bowen The Death Of The Heart

Book:The Death Of The Heart

Source: The Death Of The Heart

“Darling, I don't want you; I've got no place for you; I only want what you give. I don't want the whole of anyone. I haven't wanted to hurt you; I haven't wanted to touch you in any way. When I try and show you the truth I fill you with such despair. Life is so much more impossible than you think.”

Hurt Relationship Despair Dialogue Rejection Elizabeth Bowen The Death Of The Heart Commitment Issues

Book:The Death Of The Heart

Source: The Death Of The Heart

“Each piece of dialogue MUST be "something happening". . .The "amusing" for its OWN sake should above all be censored. . .The functional use of dialogue for the plot must be the first thing in the writer's mind. Where functional usefulness cannot be established, dialogue must be left out.”

Should Mind Firsts Use Left Pieces Happenings Sake Things Happen Dialogue Plot Amusing Usefulness Left Out Censored

Author:Elizabeth Bowen

“Dialogue in fiction is what characters do to one another.”

Character Fiction Dialogue Crafts

Author:Elizabeth Bowen

“Dialogue must appear realistic without being so. Actual realism-the lifting, as it were, of passages from a stenographer's take-down of a 'real life' conversation-would be disruptive. Of what? Of the illusion of the novel. In 'real life' everything is diluted; in the novel everything is condensed.”

Writing Real Would Be Novel Conversation Illusion Real Life Dialogue Realistic Passages Realism Lifting Disruptive

Book:Collected Impressions

Source: Collected Impressions

“What must novel dialogue . . . really be and do? It must be pointed, intentional, relevant. It must crystallize situation. It must express character. It must advance plot. During dialogue, the characters confront one another. The confrontation is in itself an occasion. Each one of these occasions, throughout the novel, is unique.”

Writing Character Situation Novel Unique Dialogue Occasions Plot Relevant Confrontation

Book:Collected Impressions

Source: Collected Impressions

“Dialogue is the ideal means of showing what is between the characters. It crystallizes relationships. It should, ideally, be so effective as to make analysis or explanation of the relationships between the characters unnecessary.”

Should Writing Mean Character Ideals Dialogue Analysis Explanation Unnecessary

Book:Collected Impressions

Source: Collected Impressions

“Short of a small range of physical acts-a fight, murder, lovemaking-dialogue is the most vigorous and visible inter-action of which characters in a novel are capable. Speech is what characters do to each other.”

Writing Character Action Fighting Novel Speech Capable Murder Dialogue Range Visible Vigorous

Book:The Mulberry Tree

Source: The Mulberry Tree

“Jane Austen, much in advance of her day, was a mistress of the use of the dialogue. She used it as dialogue should be used-to advance the story; not only to show the characters, but to advance.”

Should Writing Character Stories Use Shows Used Dialogue Jane Mistress Austen

Author:Elizabeth Bowen

“All good dialogue perhaps deals with something unprecedented.”

Writing Deals Dialogue Unprecedented

Author:Elizabeth Bowen

“Dialogue should show the relationships among people.”

People Should Writing Shows Dialogue

Author:Elizabeth Bowen

“Dialogue should convey a sense of spontaneity but eliminate the repetitiveness of real talk.”

Should Writing Real Dialogue Spontaneity Real Talk

Author:Elizabeth Bowen

About the Author

Born: June 7, 1899
Died: February 22, 1973
Known for: Novelist
Quotes: 268

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Elizabeth Bowen The Death Of The Heart Writing People Literature Dialogue Novel Doe Character Knows Should Feels Firsts Ifs Seems Stories World Feelings Fiction May

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Books & Sources

The Death Of The HeartRelated source material

The House In ParisRelated source material

Collected ImpressionsRelated source material

Bowen's CourtRelated source material

Pictures and conversationsRelated source material

The Mulberry TreeRelated source material

A Time In RomeRelated source material

The Heat of the DayRelated source material

StoriesRelated source material

The Last SeptemberRelated source material

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