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Quote by Joseph Roth

“The escalator seems to me to typify this: It leads us up, by climbing on our behalf. Yes, it doesn't even climb, it flies. Each step carries its shopper aloft, as though afraid he might change his mind. It takes us up to merchandise we might not have bothered to climb an ordinary flight of steps for.”

Quote by Joseph Roth

Author

Joseph Roth, born on September 2, 1894, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was a renowned journalist and writer in the 20th century. Known for his profound insights into European society and politics, Roth's work has left a lasting impact on literature. more

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“Although the noise of the chattering clientele is much more significant than the topics of their chatter, it does finally constitute that type of social and indistinct expression that we refer to as rhubarb. The very particular volume in which people tell each other their news seems to generate all by itself that acoustic chiaroscuro, a sounding murk, in which every communication seems to lose its edges, truth projects the shadow of a lie, and a statement seems to resemble its opposite.”

Source: What I Saw: Reports from Berlin 1920-1933

“A moving shadow means more to us than a body at rest. We are no longer taken in by a fixed grin. We know that only death has a rictus.”

Knows Mean Body Moving Taken Shadow Fixed

Author:Joseph Roth

“Only the small things in life are important”

Important Things In Life Small Things Small Things In Life

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“Translation is that which transforms everything so that nothing changes.”

Things Change Translations Translators

Author:Gunter Grass

“After the collapse of socialism, capitalism remained without a rival. This unusual situation unleashed its greedy and - above all - its suicidal power. The belief is now that everything - and everyone - is fair game.”

Games Belief Situation Capitalism Fairs Socialism Unusual Collapse Greedy Suicidal Rivals Unleashed Fair Game

Author:Gunter Grass

“Art is so wonderfully irrational, exuberantly pointless, but necessary all the same. Pointless and yet necessary, that's hard for a puritan to understand.”

Art Hard Artist Art Is Irrational Pointless Puritan

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“I have found that words that are loaded with pathos and create a seductive euphoria are apt to promote nonsense.”

Found Nonsense Loaded Seductive Euphoria Pathos

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“I belonged to the generation that grew up under National Socialism, and was blinded and led astray - and allowed itself to be led astray.”

Generations Grew Grew Up Socialism Blinded

Author:Gunter Grass

“I did not volunteer for the Waffen SS, but was, as were thousands of my year group, conscripted. I did not then know as a 17-year-old that it was a criminal unit. I thought it was an elite unit.”

Knows Years Groups Criminals Elites Units Volunteer

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“I don't believe in writing at night because it comes too easily. When I read it in the morning it's not good. I need daylight to begin. Between nine and ten o'clock I have a long breakfast with reading and music.”

Needs Writing Believe Long Night Reading Morning Ten Don't Believe Nine Clock Breakfast Daylight

Author:Gunter Grass