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Richard Russo Quotes

Novelist

Richard Russo is an American novelist born on July 15, 1949. His works are known for their vivid portrayal of life in the American Midwest, earning him widespread acclaim for their nuanced emotions and profound social insight.

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All People Thinking Ifs World Writing Knows Novel Way Book Kind

Famous Richard Russo Quotes

“You use simple brushstrokes in a screenplay for things over which you would take much greater pains in a novel.”

Use Pain Simple Novel Greater Screenplays

Author:Richard Russo

“Stories worked much the same way . . . A false note at the beginning was much more costly than one nearer the end because early errors were part of the foundation.”

Way Ends Stories Foundation Errors Notes

Book:That Old Cape Magic

Source: That Old Cape Magic

“Why mince words? Beautiful Ruins is an absolute masterpiece.”

Beautiful Absolutes Ruins Masterpiece

Author:Richard Russo

“I was pretty dead set against ever writing an academic novel. It's always been my view that there are already more than enough academic novels and that most of them aren't any good. Most of them are self-conscious and bitter, the work of people who want to settle grudges.”

People Want Writing Self Enough Views Novel Conscious Bitter Settling Academic Self Conscious Grudge

Author:Richard Russo

“Ultimately, your theme will find you. You don't have to go looking for it.”

Theme

Author:Richard Russo

“People often ask me how I make things funny. I don't make things funny.”

People Asks Ask Me Funny Things

Author:Richard Russo

“When I start getting close to the end of a novel, something registers in the back of my mind for the next novel, so that I usually don't write, or take notes. And I certainly don't begin. I just allow things to percolate for a while.”

Writing Mind Ends Next Novel Notes Register Of My Mind

Author:Richard Russo

“My books are elegiac in the sense that they're odes to a nation that even I sometimes think may not exist anymore except in my memory and my imagination.”

Thinking May Book Sometimes Nations Imagination Memories My Imagination Odes

Author:Richard Russo

“You can be interested in a Jane Smiley novel whether or not anyone says a word. She enters into her characters thoughts with great understanding and depth.”

Character Understanding Novel Depth Jane Smiley

Author:Richard Russo

“Some authors have a very hard time understanding that in order to be faithful to the spirit of the book, it's almost always impossible to remain faithful to the text. You have to make changes.”

Book Hard Spirit Order Understanding Impossible Faithful Hard Times Making Changes Being Faithful

Author:Richard Russo

“Since her retirement from teaching Miss Beryl's health had in many respects greatly improved, despite her advancing years. An eighth-grade classroom was an excellent place to snag whatever was in the air in the way of illness. Also depression, which, Miss Beryl believed, in conjunction with guilt, opened the door to illness. Miss Beryl didn't know any teachers who weren't habitually guilty and depressed-guilty they hadn't accomplished more with their students, depressed that very little more was possible.”

Knows Way Years Littles Teacher Doors Air Teaching Missing Students Guilt Illness Despite Guilty Excellent Accomplished Grades Retirement Classroom Advancing Conjunctions Eighth Grade

Book:Nobody's Fool

Source: Nobody's Fool

“I'm not an easy man. I can be an entertaining one, though it's been my experience that most people don't want to be entertained. They want to be comforted.”

People Men Want I Can Easy Entertaining

Book:Straight Man

Source: Straight Man

“People who imagine themselves to be self-made seldom enjoy examining the process of manufacture in detail.”

People Made Self Process Enjoy Imagine Details Examining Self Made

Book:Empire Falls

Source: Empire Falls

“I just have this feeling that if it weren't for the Gloversville Free Library that I probably would not be a writer.”

Ifs Feelings Library

Author:Richard Russo

About the Author

Born: July 15, 1949
Known for: Novelist
Quotes: 114

Books & Sources

Empire FallsRelated source material

Straight ManRelated source material

Nobody's FoolRelated source material

MohawkRelated source material

Bridge of SighsRelated source material

Chances Are...Related source material

Life and Art: EssaysRelated source material

Risk PoolRelated source material

That Old Cape MagicRelated source material

Tonto de remateRelated source material

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