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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 Sometimes Thinking Writing Seems Women Believe Doe Has Beens Real Given

Famous Rebecca West Quotes

“It's an absurd error to put modern English literature in the curriculum. You should read contemporary literature for pleasure or not at all. You shouldn't be taught to monkey with it.”

Should Literature Pleasure Modern Taught Errors Contemporary Absurd Monkeys Curriculum English Literature Contemporary Literature Modern English

Author:Rebecca West

“I do not myself find it agreeable to be 90, and I cannot imagine why it should seem so to other people. It is not that you have any fears about your own death, it is that your upholstery is already dead around you.”

People Should Seems Imagine Upholstery

Author:Rebecca West

“The French use cooking as a means of self-expression, and this meal perfectly represented the personality of a cook who had spent the morning resting her unwashed chin on the edge of a tureen, pondering whether she should end her life immediately by plunging her head into her abominable soup.”

Should Mean Ends Self Use Morning Food Expression Personality Cooking Edges Cooks Meals Soup Pondering Self Expression Chins

Author:Rebecca West

“it is necessary that we should all have a little of the will to die, because otherwise we would find the performance of our biological duty of death too difficult.”

Should Littles Dies Difficult Duty Performances

Author:Rebecca West

“My memory is certainly in my hands. I can remember things only if I have a pencil and I can write with it and I can play with it. ... I think your hand concentrates for you. I don't know why it should be so.”

Ifs Thinking Knows Should Writing I Can Play Hands Remember Memories Pencils

Author:Rebecca West

“... when the Spaniards persecuted heretics they may have been crude, but they were not being unreasonable or unpractical. They were at least wiser than the people of to-day who pretend that it does not matter what a man believes, as who should say that the flavour and digestibility of a pudding will have nothing to do with its ingredients.”

Source: The strange necessity: essays by Rebecca West

“Woman too commonly commits the sin of self-sacrifice whereby she consents to be sequestered in the home, without intellectual stimulus, so that the tranquil flame of her unspoiled soul should radiate purity and nobility upon an indefinitely extended family.”

Should Soul Self Home Sin Sacrifice Intellectual Commit Flames Purity Consent Nobility Stimulus Self Sacrifice Tranquil Extended Family

Author:Rebecca West

“It is not possible that a just God should forgive people who are wicked because another person who was good endured agony by being nailed to a cross.”

People Should Persons Crosses Forgiving Wicked Agony

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

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

“All men should have a drop of treason in their veins, if nations are not to go soft like so many sleepy pears.”

Ifs Men Should Nations Sleep Should Have Rebellion Veins Treason Sleepy Pears

Book:The New Meaning of Treason

Source: The New Meaning of Treason

“God forbid that any book should be banned. The practice is as indefensible as infanticide.”

Should Book Funny Women Practice Sarcastic Censorship Corny First Amendment Banned Censorship In Books Infanticide Freedom To Read

Author:Rebecca West

“There is no logical reason why the camel of great art should pass through the needle of mob intelligence.”

Should Art Reason Reason Why Logical Great Art Needles Camels Needle In A Haystack

Book:The strange necessity: essays by Rebecca West

Source: The strange necessity: essays by Rebecca West

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 Sometimes Thinking Writing Seems Women Believe Doe Has Beens Real Given

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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