Home / Quotes / Quote by Kingsley Amis

Quote by Kingsley Amis

“It's a letdown if the comedian doesn't finally actually really sit on his hat.”

Quote by Kingsley Amis

Author

Kingsley Amis was a celebrated British novelist known for his sharp wit and incisive social commentary. His works often delved into the complexities of modern life, particularly in the post-war era. Amis's writing style was characterized by its sharp dialogue and satirical tone, which won him a dedicated following among readers and critics. more

You May Also Like

“The human race has not devised any way of dissolving barriers, getting to know the other chap fast, breaking the ice, that is one-tenth as handy and efficient as letting you and the other chap, or chaps, cease to be totally sober at about the same rate in agreeable surroundings.”

Knows Way Humans Race Rate Cease Ice Human Race Barriers Efficient Sober Surroundings Handy Chaps Dissolving

Book:Everyday Drinking: The Distilled Kingsley Amis

Source: Everyday Drinking: The Distilled Kingsley Amis

“Those who professed themselves unable to believe in the reality of human progress ought to cheer themselves up, as the students under examination had conceivably been cheered up, by a short study of the Middle Ages. The hydrogen bomb, the South African Government, Chioang Kaidick, Senator McCarthy himself, would then seem a light price to pay for no longer being in the Middle Ages.”

Believe Humans Reality Light Seems Government Age Pay Study Progress Middle Students Ought South Bombs Cheer South Africa Senators Middle Ages Examination Hydrogen Human Progress Hydrogen Bomb

Book:Lucky Jim

Source: Lucky Jim

“The Dalai Lama said that he thinks mother's love is the best symbol for love and compassion, because it is totally disinterested.”

Thinking Said Mother Love Is Compassion Symbols Love And Compassion Lama Disinterested Mother's Love Dalai Disinterest Disinterested Love

Author:Richard Gere

“The world that seemed so various and new, well, it does contract. One's burning desire to investigate human behavior, and to make, or imply, statements about it, does fall off. And so one does find that early works are full of energy and also full of vulgarity, crudity, and incompetence, and later works are more carefully finished, and in that sense better literary products. But . . . there's often a freshness that is missing in later works--for every gain there's a loss. I think it evens out in that way.”

“It's never pleasant to have one's unquestioning beliefs put in their historical context, as I know from experience, I can assure you.”

Knows I Can Belief Historical Pleasant Historical Context

Book:The Green Man

Source: The Green Man

“I've been trying to write for as long as I can remember. But those first fifteen years didn't produce much of great interest. I mean, it embarrasses me very much to look back on my early poems--very few lines of any merit at all and lots of affectation. But there were quite a lot of them. That's a point in one's favor.”

Writing Trying Years Firsts Looks Mean Long I Can Remember Interest Lines Produce Favors Merit Fifteen Fifteen Years

Author:Kingsley Amis

“With some exceptions in science fiction and other genres I have small difficulty in avoiding anything that could be called American literature. I feel it is unnatural, not I think entirely because it uses a language that is not mine, however closely akin to my own.”

Thinking Feels Use Literature Language My Own Fiction Mines Difficulty Science Fiction Genre Exception Avoiding Unnatural American Literature

Author:Kingsley Amis

“The Scandinavians are dear people but they've never been what you might call bywords for wit and sparkle, have they?”

People Might Dear Wit Sparkle Scandinavians

Author:Kingsley Amis

“To refer even in passing to unpublished or struggling authors and their problems is to put oneself at some risk, so I will say here and now that any unsolicited manuscripts or typescripts sent to me will be destroyed unread. You must make your way yourself. Why you should be so set on the nearly always disappointing profession is a puzzling question.”

Way Should Writing Problem Struggle Risk Oneself Profession Passing Passings Destroyed Here And Now Disappointing Manuscripts Puzzling

Book:The Amis collection: selected non-fiction, 1954-1990

Source: The Amis collection: selected non-fiction, 1954-1990

“I once wrote deduceable instead of deducible in a book, though nobody then or since has taken me up on it. A small point as they go, perhaps, but Rule I of writing acceptably is to get everything right as far as you can, and in this case I had neglected to.”

Writing Book Cases Taken Neglected

Author:Kingsley Amis