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Rebecca West

Rebecca West Quotes

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Rebecca West, born Cecil William James on December 21, 1892, and died on March 15, 1983, was a prominent British author of the 20th century. Known for her profound social insight and unique literary style, she left a lasting impact on the world of literature.

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All Men Ifs People Art Knows World Hands Humans Should Home

Famous Rebecca West Quotes

“Those who foresee the future and recognize it as tragic are often seized upon by a madness which forced them to commit the very acts which make it certain that what they dread will happen.”

Happens Certain Future Madness Commit Tragic Dread

Author:Rebecca West

“There is no such thing as conversation. It is an illusion. There are intersecting monologues, that is all.”

Language Communication Conversation Illusion Monologues No Communication

Author:Rebecca West

“All good biography, as all good fiction, comes down to the study of original sin, of our inherent disposition to choose death when we ought to choose life.”

Sin Fiction Study Ought Originals Good Life Inherent Disposition Biographies Original Sin Choose Life

Author:Rebecca West

“Of Virginia Woolf: The talent of this generation which is most certain of survival.”

Certain Generations Talent Survival Certainty Virginia This Generation Woolf

Author:Rebecca West

“For the sake of my country, and perhaps a little for the sake of my soul, I have given up the deep peace of being in opposition.”

Littles Soul Country Given Sake My Soul Opposition Given Up

Book:Black lamb and grey falcon: a journey through Yugoslavia

Source: Black lamb and grey falcon: a journey through Yugoslavia

“It seemed a good idea at the time.”

Ideas Good Ideas

Author:Rebecca West

“If there is a God, I don't think He would demand that anyone bow down or stand up to Him. I often have a suspicion that God is still trying to work things out and hasn't finished.”

Ifs Thinking Trying Stills Demand Finished Bows Suspicion If There Is A God

Author:Rebecca West

“Birds sat on the telegraph wires that spanned the river as the black notes sit on a staff of music.”

Black Bird Rivers Notes Sat Staff Wire Telegraph

Book:The Return of the Soldier

Source: The Return of the Soldier

“There is a point, and it is reached more easily than is supposed, where interference with freedom of the arts and literature becomes an attack on the life of society.”

Art Literature Society Interference

Book:Keeping it dark: or, The censor's handbook

Source: Keeping it dark: or, The censor's handbook

“I find to my astonishment that an unhappy marriage goes on being unhappy when it is over.”

Goes On Divorce Unhappy Astonishment Happy Marriage Unhappy Marriage After Divorce Being Unhappy

Author:Rebecca West

“In England and America a beard usually means that its owner would rather be considered venerable than virile; on the continent of Europe it often means that its owner makes a special claim to virility.”

Mean America Special Europe Claims England Owners Continents Beard England And America

Author:Rebecca West

“If the whole human race lay in one grave, the epitaph on its headstone might well be: 'It seemed like a good idea at the time.'”

Ifs Humans Wells Ideas Whole Might Time Race Lays Graves Human Race Good Ideas Epitaph Headstone

Author:Rebecca West

“The American struggle for the vote was much more difficult than the English for the simple reason that it was much more easy.”

Reason Easy Difficult Simple Struggle Vote

Author:Rebecca West

“I cannot see that art is anything less than a way of making joys perpetual.”

Way Art Joy Artist Art Is Perpetual Scrapbooking

Book:The Strange Necessity: Essays and Reviews

Source: The Strange Necessity: Essays and Reviews

“Art is not a luxury, but a necessity.”

Art Art Is Luxury

Book:The Strange Necessity: Essays and Reviews

Source: The Strange Necessity: Essays and Reviews

“The earth itself is slightly resistant to routine.”

Author:Rebecca West

“She saw she had fallen into the hands of one of those doctors who have strayed too far from apparent in the direction of the soul.”

Soul Hands Saws Doctors Medicine Medical Fallen Doctor Who

Author:Rebecca West

“Behind it was that vast suspension bridge which always troubles me because it reminds me that in this mechanized age I am as little able to understand my environment as any primitive woman who thinks that a waterfall is inhabited by a spirit, and indeed less so, for her opinion might from a poetical point of view be correct.”

Thinking Littles Might Age Able Spirit Views Behinds Opinion Environment Trouble Point Of View Bridges Primitive Waterfalls Suspension

Book:Black lamb and grey falcon: a journey through Yugoslavia

Source: Black lamb and grey falcon: a journey through Yugoslavia

“The Portrait of a Lady is entirely successful in giving one the sense of having met somebody far too radiantly good for this world.”

World Giving Successful This World Mets Portraits

Book:Henry James: A Critical Biography

Source: Henry James: A Critical Biography

“Existence in itself, taken at its least miraculous, is a miracle.”

Existence Taken Miracle Miraculous

Book:Black lamb and grey falcon: a journey through Yugoslavia

Source: Black lamb and grey falcon: a journey through Yugoslavia

“Now different races and nationalities cherish different ideals of society that stink in each other's nostrils with an offensiveness beyond the power of any but the most monstrous private deed.”

Different Race Ideals Deeds Ideology Cherish Nationality Monstrous Stink Different Races Different Nationalities

Book:Black lamb and grey falcon: a journey through Yugoslavia

Source: Black lamb and grey falcon: a journey through Yugoslavia

“I take it as a prime cause of the present confusion of society that it is too sickly and too doubtful to use pleasure frankly as a test of value.”

Use Values Causes Pleasure Tests Confusion Prime Doubtful

Book:Woman as Artist and Thinker

Source: Woman as Artist and Thinker

“It appears that even the different parts of the same person do not converse among themselves, do not succeed in learning from each other what are their desires and their intentions.”

Persons Different Desire Succeed Conversation Intention Converses

Author:Rebecca West

“Time spent in a casino is time given to death, a foretaste of the hour when one's flesh will be diverted to the purposes of the worm and not of the will.”

Purpose Given Hours Flesh Gambling Worms Casinos Time Spent

Book:The Strange Necessity: Essays and Reviews

Source: The Strange Necessity: Essays and Reviews

“We think in youth that our bodies are identical to ourselves and have the same interests, but discover later in life that they are heartless companions who have been accidentally yoked with us, and who are as likely as not, in our extreme sickness or old age, to treat us with less mercy than we would have received at the hands of the worst bandits.”

Source: Black lamb and grey falcon: a journey through Yugoslavia

“Literature must be an analysis of experience and a synthesis of the findings into a unity.”

Literature Findings Worship Unity Analysis Synthesis

Author:Rebecca West

“Men must be capable of imagining and executing and insisting on social change if they are to reform or even maintain civilization, and capable too of furnishing the rebellion which is sometimes necessary if society is not to perish of immobility.”

Ifs Men Sometimes Social Civilization Capable Reform Rebellion Social Change Social Reform Insisting Executing

Book:The New Meaning of Treason

Source: The New Meaning of Treason

About the Author

Born: December 21, 1892
Died: March 15, 1983
Known for: Author
Quotes: 227

Related Topics

Men Ifs People Art Knows World Hands Humans Should Home

Popular Topics

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

Books & Sources

Black lamb and grey falcon: a journey through YugoslaviaRelated source material

The Strange Necessity: Essays and ReviewsRelated source material

The young Rebecca: writings of Rebecca West, 1911-17Related source material

The Thinking ReedRelated source material

The strange necessity: essays by Rebecca WestRelated source material

Black Lamb and Grey FalconRelated source material

The Fountain OverflowsRelated source material

The Young Rebecca: Writings of Rebecca West 1911-17Related source material

The meaning of treasonRelated source material

The Return of the SoldierRelated source material

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