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Paul Auster Quotes

Author

Paul Auster is an American author known for his unique narrative style and philosophical reflections. His works often explore themes of identity, memory, and reality, and have won him a wide audience.

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All Thinking Writing Book Ifs World People Way Stories Novel Feels Want Kind Knows Men Trying Seems Happens I Can Different Fiction

Famous Paul Auster Quotes

“You have to protect it too, you can't let just any stupid person take it and do something demoralizing with it. At the same time, I don't believe in being so rigid about controlling what happens either.”

Believe Persons Happens Stupid Protect Don't Believe Demoralizing Stupid Person

Author:Paul Auster

“Even in New York, there are a lot of very attractive girls pedaling around. That just happens to be one of the nice sights in our city, seeing a young woman on a bike.”

Happens Young Girl Cities Nice Seeing New York Sight Attractive Young Women Bike Attractive Girl

Author:Paul Auster

“The world is so unpredictable. Things happen suddenly, unexpectedly. We want to feel we are in control of our own existence. In some ways we are, in some ways we're not. We are ruled by the forces of chance and coincidence.”

World Way Want Feels Happens Force Chance Existence Things Happen Coincidence Unpredictable Anything Can Happen Unpredictability External Forces Overwhelming Force Unpredictable Things

Author:Paul Auster

“I'm really trying to dredge up what one might call intellectual and moral material. For example, when do you realize that you are an American? What age does that happen to you? When do you realize what religion your parents practice? When does it all become conscious? I was interested in exploring all of that.”

Trying Doe Might Happens Age Parent Realizing Moral Practice Example Materials Intellectual Conscious Exploring

Author:Paul Auster

“Something happens, Blue thinks, and then it goes on happening forever. It can never be changed, can never be otherwise.”

Thinking Happens Forever Changed Goes On Happenings Blue

Book:Ghosts

Source: Ghosts

“Stories only happen to those who are able to tell them.”

Stories Happens Able

Author:Paul Auster

“We all want to believe in impossible things, I suppose, to persuade ourselves that miracles can happen.”

Want Believe Happens Impossible Miracle Impossible Things Miracles Can Happen

Book:The Book of Illusions: A Novel

Source: The Book of Illusions: A Novel

“It often happens that things are other than what they seem, and you can get yourself into trouble by jumping to conclusions.”

Seems Happens Trouble Conclusion Jumping Jumping To Conclusions

Book:Moon Palace

Source: Moon Palace

“Memory is the space in which a thing happens for a second time.”

Happens Memories Space Things Happen

Author:Paul Auster

“Just think it, and chances are it will happen.”

Thinking Happens Chance Chances Are

Book:Collected Novels Volume Four

Source: Collected Novels Volume Four

“Our lives carry us along in ways we cannot control, and almost nothing stays with us. It dies when we do, and death is something that happens to us every day.”

Way Happens Dies Our Lives

Book:The New York Trilogy

Source: The New York Trilogy

“When every card in the deck is stacked against you, the only way to win a hand is to break the rules. You beg, borrow, and steal, as the old adage goes, and if you happen to get caught in the act, at least you´ve gone down fighting the good fight.”

Ifs Way Hands Happens Fighting Winning Break Gone Caught Stealing Cards Adages Deck Good Fight Caught In The Act

Book:The Book of Illusions

Source: The Book of Illusions

“Stories happen only to those who are able to tell them, someone once said. In the same way, perhaps, experiences present themselves only to those who are able to have them.”

Way Said Stories Happens Able

Book:The New York Trilogy

Source: The New York Trilogy

“Betty died of a broken heart. Some people laugh when they hear that phrase, but that's because they don't know anything about the world. People die of broken hearts. It happens every day, and it will go on happening to the end of time.”

People Knows World Heart Ends Happens Dies Laughing Broken Goes On Happenings Died Phrases End Times

Book:Collected Novels Volume Four

Source: Collected Novels Volume Four

“You think it will never happen to you, that it cannot happen to you, that you are the only person in the world to whom none of these things will ever happen, and then, one by one, they all begin to happen to you, in the same way they happen to everyone else.”

Thinking World Way Persons Happens

Book:Winter Journal

Source: Winter Journal

“As my friend George Oppen once said to me about getting old: what a strange thing to happen to a little boy.”

Littles Said Happens Boys Strange My Friends Getting Old Little Boys Strange Things

Book:Collected Prose: Autobiographical Writings, True Stories, Critical Essays, Prefaces, Collaborations with Artists, and Interviews

Source: Collected Prose: Autobiographical Writings, True Stories, Critical Essays, Prefaces, Collaborations with Artists, and Interviews

About the Author

Born: February 3, 1947
Known for: Author
Quotes: 429

Books & Sources

The New York TrilogyRelated source material

The Invention of SolitudeRelated source material

Conversations with Paul AusterRelated source material

The Brooklyn FolliesRelated source material

Moon Palace: A Novel (Penguin Ink)Related source material

4 3 2 1Related source material

Collected ProseRelated source material

Collected Novels Volume FourRelated source material

TimbuktuRelated source material

Collected Prose: Autobiographical Writings, True Stories, Critical Essays, Prefaces, Collaborations with Artists, and InterviewsRelated source material

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