Home / Quotes / Quote by Kenzaburo Oe

Quote by Kenzaburo Oe

“Fundamentally a good author has his or her own sense of style. There is a natural, deep voice, and that voice is present from the first draft of a manuscript. When he or she elaborates on the initial manuscript, it continues to strengthen and simplify that natural, deep voice.”

Quote by Kenzaburo Oe

Author

Kenzaburo Oe is a renowned Japanese author born on January 31, 1935. His works are known for their profound psychological descriptions and critical insights into social issues, making him a representative figure in post-war Japanese literature. more

You May Also Like

“I think, we can only write very personal matters through our experience. When I named my first novel about my son "A Personal Matter," I believe I knew the most important thing: there is not any personal matter; we must find the link between ourselves, our "personal matter," and society.”

Thinking Writing Firsts Believe Important Matter I Believe Novel Son Important Things My Son Links Personal Matter

Author:Kenzaburo Oe

“To be upright and to have an imagination: that is enough to be a very good young man.”

Men Enough Young Imagination Very Good Young Man

Author:Kenzaburo Oe

“I think I am doing my works to link myself, my family, with society — with the cosmos. To link me with my family to the cosmos, that is easy, because all literature has some mystic tendency. So when we write about our family, we can link ourselves to the cosmos.”

Thinking Writing Literature Easy My Family Tendencies Our Family Cosmos Links Mystic

Author:Kenzaburo Oe

“The writer's job is the job of a clown …the clown who also talks about sorrow.”

Jobs Sorrow Clown

Author:Kenzaburo Oe

“Actually, the decision was not only expedient but necessary. The severity of this summary justice showed the world that we would continue to fight mercilessly, stopping at nothing. The execution of the Tsar's family was needed not only in order to frighten, horrify, and dishearten the enemy but also in order to shake up our own ranks, to show them that there was no turning back, that ahead lay either complete victory or complete ruin.”

World Shows Order Fighting Justice Decision Enemy Needed Victory Lays Ruins Shakes Execution Stopping Severity Summary No Turning Back

Book:Diary in Exile, 1935

Source: Diary in Exile, 1935

“Whenever there's something wrong with your writing, suspect that there's something wrong with your thinking.”

Thinking Writing Suspects

Book:Words Fail Me: What Everyone Who Writes Should Know about Writing

Source: Words Fail Me: What Everyone Who Writes Should Know about Writing

“A good writer is one you can read without breaking a sweat.”

Sweat Good Writers

Author:Patricia T. O'Conner

“Despite its successes, in the end, philosophical thinking always falls short of its real goal. It involves both the wonder of aspiring toward the Truth and the distress of falling short of that Truth. In this way, philosophy can be characterized as wondrous distress.”

Thinking Way Real Ends Philosophy Fall Goal Wonder Philosophical Despite Distress Wondrous Philosophical Thinking

Book:The Path of Philosophy: Truth, Wonder, and Distress

Source: The Path of Philosophy: Truth, Wonder, and Distress

“Though nihilism has been relentlessly criticized for overemphasizing the dark side of human experience, it might be equally true that this overemphasis represents a needed counterbalance to shallow optimism and arrogant confidence in human power. Nihilism reminds us that we are not gods, and that despite all of the accomplishments and wonders of civilization, humans cannot alter the fact that they possess only a finite amount of mastery and control over their own destinies.”

“You don't really choose where you're born, but in our hearts, we can choose where we belong to.”

Author:Daniel Matsunaga