Home / Authors / Mary McCarthy

Mary McCarthy

Mary McCarthy Quotes

Author

Mary McCarthy was a prominent American author born on June 21, 1912, and passed away on October 25, 1989. Known for her incisive social criticism and nuanced portrayal of human nature, she is considered one of the most influential figures in 20th-century American literature.

Filter quotes by topic

All Ifs Literature People Venice Men World Character Feels Kind Real Looks Behinds Believe Doe Europe Facts Hero Lying Mass Modern

Famous Mary McCarthy Quotes

“Who are the advertising men kidding, besides the European tourist? Between the tired, sad, gentle faces of the subway riders and the grinning Holy Families of the Ad-Mass, there exists no possibility of even a wishful identification.”

Men Faces Possibility Holy Mass Tired Advertising Gentle Ads Tourists Riders Subway Identification Grinning

Book:The humanist in the bathtub

Source: The humanist in the bathtub

“When an American heiress wants to buy a man, she at once crosses the Atlantic. The only really materialistic people I have ever met have been Europeans.”

People Men Want Has Beens Literature Mets Crosses Materialistic Heiress

Author:Mary McCarthy

“Modern neurosis began with the discoveries of Copernicus. Science made men feel small by showing him that the earth was not the center of the universe.”

Men Feels Made Earth Science Universe Modern Discovery Neurosis Center Of The Universe Copernicus Earth Science

Book:The humanist in the bathtub

Source: The humanist in the bathtub

“Being abroad makes you conscious of the whole imitative side of human behavior. The ape in man.”

Men Humans Whole Literature Sides Behavior Conscious Human Behavior Apes

Book:Mary McCarthy: Novels 1963-1979

Source: Mary McCarthy: Novels 1963-1979

“The idea of Macbeth as a conscience-torm ented man is a platitude as false as Macbeth himself. Macbeth has no conscience. His main concern throughout the play is that most selfish of all concerns: to get a good night's sleep.”

Men Ideas Play Night Sleep Conscience Concern Selfish Good Night Platitudes

Author:Mary McCarthy

“The horror of Gandhi's murder lies not in the political motives behind it or in its consequences for Indian policy or for the future of non-violence; the horror lies simply in the fact that any man could look into the face of this extraordinary person and deliberately pull a trigger.”

Men Looks Persons Facts Faces Political Lying Behinds Violence Policy Horror Consequence Murder Extraordinary Indian Motive Triggers Non Violence Extraordinary Person

Author:Mary McCarthy

“America is indeed a revelation, though not quite the one that was planned. Given a clean slate, man, it was hoped, would write the future. Instead, he has written his past.”

Men Writing America Past Given Written Clean Revelations Slate Clean Slate

Book:The humanist in the bathtub

Source: The humanist in the bathtub

“Labor is work that leaves no trace behind it when it is finished, or if it does, as in the case of the tilled field, this product of human activity requires still more labor, incessant, tireless labor, to maintain its identity as a 'work' of man.”

Ifs Men Humans Doe Stills Literature Behinds Cases Fields Identity Products Activity Labor Finished Human Activity Incessant

Book:On the contrary

Source: On the contrary

About the Author

Born: June 21, 1912
Died: October 25, 1989
Known for: Author
Quotes: 139

Related Topics

Ifs Literature People Venice Men World Character Feels Kind Real Looks Behinds Believe Doe Europe Facts Hero Lying Mass Modern

Popular Topics

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

Books & Sources

The humanist in the bathtubRelated source material

On the contraryRelated source material

A Bolt from the Blue and Other EssaysRelated source material

Venice observedRelated source material

The company she keepsRelated source material

Mary McCarthy: Novels 1963-1979Related source material

Occasional proseRelated source material

The Stones of FlorenceRelated source material

Memories Of A Catholic GirlhoodRelated source material

Intellectual Memoirs: New York, 1936-1938Related source material

Similar Authors

Manuel PuigBrowse related quotes
Irwin ShawBrowse related quotes
Mason CooleyBrowse related quotes
Norman MacCaigBrowse related quotes
Jessica SavitchBrowse related quotes
Guillermo Cabrera InfanteBrowse related quotes
Edwin Louis ColeBrowse related quotes
Marilyn vos SavantBrowse related quotes
Lisa GuerreroBrowse related quotes
Bob WoodwardBrowse related quotes