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Lionel Shriver Quotes

Journalist

Lionel Shriver is a British journalist born on May 18, 1957. She is known for her unique writing style and profound insights into social issues.

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Famous Lionel Shriver Quotes

“The fact that my clothing has been visually available to other people I do not find upsetting. The body is another matter. It is mine; I have found it useful; but it is an avatar.”

People Has Beens Matter Facts Body Found Mines Available Upset Clothings

Author:Lionel Shriver

“We are not attracted to people because they are virtuous. In fact, there's something a little creepy about people who are too good. There is a big draw to people who are successful at breaking the rules. That means we end up admiring a lot of people that we think we shouldn't.”

People Thinking Mean Littles Ends Facts Bigs Successful Draws Virtuous Creepy Admiring

Author:Lionel Shriver

“In fact, it's become politically important to offend people, because we have to fight back against this notion that being offensive should be against the law or something, and that everyone supposedly deserves "respect" for their often dopy views.”

People Important Fighting Deserve Offensive

Author:Lionel Shriver

“...You can only subject people to anguish who have a conscience. You can only punish people who have hopes to frustrate or attachments to sever; who worry what you think of them. You can really only punish people who are already a little bit good.”

People Thinking Life Littles Bits Worry Subjects Little Bit Conscience Attachment Anguish Having Hope

Book:We Need To Talk About Kevin

Source: We Need To Talk About Kevin

“You were ambitious - for your life, what it was like when you woke up in the morning, and not for some attainment. Like most people who did not answer a particular calling from an early age, you placed work beside yourself; any occupation would fill up your day but not your heart. I liked that about you. I liked it enormously.”

People Heart Age Answers Morning Particular Calling Occupation Ambitious Attainment

Book:We Need To Talk About Kevin

Source: We Need To Talk About Kevin

“A lot of people get so hung up on what they can't have that they don't think for a second about whether they really want it.”

People Thinking Want Jealousy Materialism Hung Get Jealous Jealous People

Author:Lionel Shriver

“The existence of other people is essentially awkward.”

People Existence Awkward

Author:Lionel Shriver

“No eleven-year-old has any real grasp of death. He doesn't have any real concept of other people--that they feel pain, even that they exist. And his own adult future isn't real to him, either. Makes it that much easier to throw away.”

People Feels Years Real Pain Easier Concepts Adults Eleven

Book:We Need To Talk About Kevin

Source: We Need To Talk About Kevin

“Everything people do that doesn’t work has to be somebody else’s fault. Next time you know, geezers’ll be suing the government for getting old and kids’ll be taking their mommies to court because they came out ugly.”

People Knows Government Kids Next Court Faults Ugly Next Time Getting Old Suing

Author:Lionel Shriver

“I have never in all my life considered you other people.”

People

Author:Lionel Shriver

“...some people coddle their own afflictions the way others spoil small pedigreed dogs with cans of pate.”

People Way Dog Affliction Spoil

Author:Lionel Shriver

“People seem to get used to anything, and it is a short step from adaptation to attachment.”

People Seems Used Steps Attachment Adaptation

Book:We Need To Talk About Kevin

Source: We Need To Talk About Kevin

“In the big picture I write for an audience of people I've never met. By the final draft I'm looking for anything in the prose that's prospectively boring to strangers.”

People Writing Bigs Audience Mets Finals Boring Stranger Prose Big Picture

Author:Lionel Shriver

About the Author

Born: May 18, 1957
Known for: Journalist
Quotes: 154

Books & Sources

We Need To Talk About KevinRelated source material

So Much for ThatRelated source material

The Post-Birthday WorldRelated source material

A Perfectly Good FamilyRelated source material

Big BrotherRelated source material

The Mandibles: A Family, 2029–2047Related source material

A Perfectly Good Family: A NovelRelated source material

The Motion of the Body Through SpaceRelated source material

The New RepublicRelated source material

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