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Richard Yates

Richard Yates Quotes

Novelist

Richard Yates (1926-1992) was an American novelist renowned for his unflinching portrayals of suburban American life and the disillusionment of the post-war middle class. His debut novel "Revolutionary Road" (1961) is now considered a classic of American literature. A World War II veteran, Yates wrote with raw honesty about the broken American Dream and the quiet desperation of ordinary lives. Though underappreciated during his lifetime, his work influenced generations of writers and gained recognition after his death.

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Famous Richard Yates Quotes

“God knows there certainly ought to be a window around here somewhere, for all of us.”

Knows Ought Window God Knows

Book:The Collected Stories of Richard Yates

Source: The Collected Stories of Richard Yates

“And do you know a funny thing? I'm almost fifty years old and I've never understood anything in my whole life.”

Knows Years Whole Understood Whole Life Fifty Do You Know Funny Things Fifty Year Olds

Author:Richard Yates

“Know what we did, Lucy? You and me? We spent our whole lives yearning. Isn't that the God damndest thing?”

Knows Whole Whole Life Yearning Lucy

Book:Young Hearts Crying

Source: Young Hearts Crying

“...you found you were saying yes when you meant no, and “We’ve got to be together in this thing” when you meant the very opposite ... and then you were face to face, in total darkness, with the knowledge that you didn’t know who you were. And how could anyone else be blamed for that?”

Knows Together Faces Found Darkness Opposites Face To Face Saying Yes Found You

Author:Richard Yates

“Your cowardly self-delusions about “love” when you know as well as I do that there’s never been anything between us but contempt and distrust and a terrible sickly dependence on each other’s weakness- that’s why. That’s why I couldn’t stop laughing about the Inability to Love, and that’s why I can’t stand to let you touch me, and that’s why I’ll never again believe in anything you think, let alone anything you say”

Thinking Knows Believe Wells I Can Self Laughing Terrible Weakness Delusion Contempt Dependence Distrust Inability Cowardly Touch Me Self Delusion Inability To Love

Author:Richard Yates

“Do you know what the definition of insane is? Yes. It’s the inability to relate to another human being. It’s the inability to love.”

Knows Humans Human Beings Definitions Insane Relate Do You Know Inability Inability To Love

Book:Revolutionary Road

Source: Revolutionary Road

About the Author

Born: February 3, 1926
Died: November 7, 1992
Known for: Novelist
Quotes: 64

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Books & Sources

Revolutionary RoadRelated source material

Cold Spring HarborRelated source material

Eleven Kinds of LonelinessRelated source material

The Collected StoriesRelated source material

The Easter ParadeRelated source material

Young Hearts CryingRelated source material

A Good School: A NovelRelated source material

The Collected Stories of Richard YatesRelated source material

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