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Quote by Nadine Gordimer

Work

Selected Stories

This book is a compilation of short narratives, showcasing a range of styles and themes across different authors. more

Author

Nadine Gordimer
Nadine Gordimer

Nadine Gordimer was a South African writer renowned for her profound social commentary and literary achievements. Her works often delve into issues of apartheid, class differences, and gender, winning numerous literary awards, including the Nobel Prize in Literature. more

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“It is quite wrong to think of old age as a downward slope. On the contrary, one climbs higher and higher with the ad-vancing years, and that, too with sur-prising strides. Brain-work comes as easily to the old as physical exertion to the child. One is moving, it is true, towards the end of life, but that end is now a goal, and not a reef in which the vessel may be dashed.”

“Virginity is now a mere preamble or waiting room to be got out of as soon as possible; it is without significance. Old age is similarly a waiting room, where you go after life's over and wait for cancer or a stroke. The years before and after the menstrual years are vestigial: the only meaningful condition left to women is that of fruitfulness.”

“Growing up means letting go of the dearest megalomaniacal dreams of our childhood. Growing up means knowing they can't be fulfilled. Growing up means gaining the wisdom and the skills to get what we want within the limitations imposed by reality - a reality which consists of diminished powers, restricted freedoms and, with the people we love, imperfect connections.”