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Ford Madox Ford

Ford Madox Ford Quotes

Novelist

Ford Madox Ford was an influential British novelist known for his contributions to modernist literature. His works are characterized by complex narrative structures and profound psychological descriptions. Born on December 17, 1873, he passed away on June 26, 1939.

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All Parade S End Ifs Tietjens Some Do Not Men Book Mind No More Parades World People

Famous Ford Madox Ford Quotes

“Yes, a war is inevitable. Firstly, there's you fellows who can't be trusted. And then there's the multitude who mean to have bathrooms and white enamel. Millions of them; all over the world. Not merely here. And there aren't enough bathrooms and white enamel in the world to go round.”

World Mean War Enough White Millions Fellows Rounds Inevitable Trusted Multitudes Bathroom Here And There

Book:Parade's End

Source: Parade's End

“He wouldn't write a letter because he couldn't without beginning it 'Dear Sylvia' and ending it 'Yours sincerely' or 'truly' or 'affectionately.' He's that sort of precise imbecile. I tell you he's so formal he can't do without all the conventions there are and so truthful he can't use half of them.”

Writing Use Half Letters Dear Conventions Truthful Formal Precise Sincerely Imbeciles

Book:Parade's End

Source: Parade's End

“Higher than the beasts, lower than the angels, stuck in our idiot Eden.”

Higher Angel Stuck Idiot Beast Eden

Author:Ford Madox Ford

“But responsibility hardens the heart. It must.”

Heart Responsibility

Book:Parade's End Volume III: A Man Could Stand Up-

Source: Parade's End Volume III: A Man Could Stand Up-

“He thought he suddenly understood. For the Lincon-shire sergeant-major the word Peace meant that a man could stand up on a hill. For him it meant someone to talk to.”

Men Majors Understood Hills Sergeants Shire

Author:Ford Madox Ford

“You have to wait together - for a week, for a year, for a lifetime, before the final intimate conversation may be attained ... and exhausted. So that ... That in effect was love.”

Years May Together Waiting Week Effects Conversation Lifetime Finals Intimate Exhausted Intimate Conversation

Book:Parade's End: A man could stand up

Source: Parade's End: A man could stand up

“The first thing you have to consider when writing a novel is your story, and then your story - and then your story!”

Writing Firsts Stories Novel Crafts

Book:It Was the Nightingale

Source: It Was the Nightingale

“The object of the novelist is to keep the reader entirely oblivious of the fact that the author exists - even of the fact he is reading a book.”

Book Facts Reading Objects Reader Crafts Novelists Oblivious

Book:Critical Writings of Ford Madox Ford

Source: Critical Writings of Ford Madox Ford

“In every man there are two minds that work side by side, the one checking the other; thus emotion stands against reason, intellect corrects passion and first impressions act a little, but very little, before quick reflection.”

Men Mind Firsts Littles Two Reason Passion Sides Emotion Reflection Intellect Every Man Impression First Impression Two Minds

Book:Parade's End

Source: Parade's End

“If you hunch your shoulders too long against a storm your shoulders will grow bowed.”

Ifs Long Grows Storm Shoulders Hunches

Book:SOME DO NOT...

Source: SOME DO NOT...

“It is not merely that people must die and people must suffer, if not here, then there. But what is dreadful is that the world goes on and people go on being stupidly cruel - in the old ways and all the time.”

People Ifs World Way Suffering Dies Goes On Old Ways Being Stupid

Book:The Marsden Case: A Romance

Source: The Marsden Case: A Romance

“Damn it all, it's the first duty of a soldier - it's the first duty of all Englishmen - to be able to tell a good lie in answer to a charge.”

Firsts Able Lying Answers Duty Soldier Damn Englishmen Good Lies

Book:Parade's End

Source: Parade's End

“What the artist wishes to do — as far as you are concerned — is to take you out of yourself. As far as he is concerned, he wishes to express himself.”

Artist Wish Concerned

Author:Ford Madox Ford

“I couldn't regard myself as personally repulsive. No man can, or, if he ever comes to do so, that is the end of him.”

Ifs Men Ends Regard

Book:The Good Soldier

Source: The Good Soldier

“Six months ago I had never been to England, and, certainly, I had never sounded the depths of an English heart. I had known the shallows.”

Heart Literature Known Months Six England Depth Six Months

Book:The Good Soldier: A Tale of Passion

Source: The Good Soldier: A Tale of Passion

“Only two classes of books are of universal appeal. The very best and the very worst.”

Two Book Class Worst Universal Appeals

Author:Ford Madox Ford

“And it was a most remarkable, a most moving glance, as if for a moment a lighthouse had looked at me.”

Ifs Moments Moving Remarkable Glances Lighthouse

Book:The Good Soldier: A Tale of Passion

Source: The Good Soldier: A Tale of Passion

“If you only would!" He added rather diffidently: "If you would not mind remembering that I am a military court of inquiry. It makes it easier for me to report to the general if you say things dully and in the order that they happened.”

Ifs Mind Remember Order Happened Military Easier Court Reports Inquiry

Book:The Bodley Head: Parade's end. Pt.2. No more parades. Pt.3. A man could stand up

Source: The Bodley Head: Parade's end. Pt.2. No more parades. Pt.3. A man could stand up

“Mind, I am not preaching anything contrary to accepted morality. I am not advocating free love in this or any other case. Society must go on, I suppose, and society can only exist if the normal, if the virtuous, and the slightly deceitful flourish, and if the passionate, the headstrong, and the too-truthful are condemned to suicide and madness.”

Ifs Mind Cases Goes On Morality Normal Madness Suicide Passionate Contrary Accepted Truthful Virtuous Preaching Advocating Deceitful Free Love Headstrong

Book:The Good Soldier: Ford's works

Source: The Good Soldier: Ford's works

“New York is large, glamorous, easy-going, kindly and incurious, but above all it is a crucible - because it is large enough to be incurious.”

Enough Easy New York Glamorous Crucible Easy Going

Book:New York Essays

Source: New York Essays

“We are all so afraid, we are all so alone, we all so need from the outside the assurance of our own worthiness to exist.”

Needs Fear Assurance Worthiness Sundials Moral Support

Book:The Good Soldier: A Tale of Passion

Source: The Good Soldier: A Tale of Passion

About the Author

Born: December 17, 1873
Died: June 26, 1939
Known for: Novelist
Quotes: 71

Related Topics

Parade S End Ifs Tietjens Some Do Not Men Book Mind No More Parades World People

Popular Topics

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

Books & Sources

Parade's EndRelated source material

SOME DO NOT...Related source material

The Good Soldier: A Tale of PassionRelated source material

No More ParadesRelated source material

The Good SoldierRelated source material

The Bodley Head: Parade's end. Pt.2. No more parades. Pt.3. A man could stand upRelated source material

Ancient Lights And Certain New Reflections Being The Memories Of A Young ManRelated source material

Critical Writings of Ford Madox FordRelated source material

It Was the NightingaleRelated source material

New York EssaysRelated source material

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