Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by Marvin Mudrick

Quote by Marvin Mudrick

“Boswell's Johnson is the word made flesh... an extemporaneous man talking himself into the thick of every occasion (in a world ofoccasions if nothing else) and therefore no monument at all but all that can be saved of a man alive in the pages of a book.”

Quote by Marvin Mudrick

Book:Books are Not Life, But Then, what Is?
Create image

Work

Books are Not Life, But Then, what Is?

This work explores the tension between the written word and lived experience, suggesting that while books offer profound insights, they remain a representation rather than reality itself. The title poses a rhetorical question that invites readers to consider what, if anything, can fully embody life. The book likely examines the limits of literature as a medium for conveying truth, emotion, and existence, encouraging a reflective stance on the act of reading and the nature of being. more

Author

Marvin Mudrick
Marvin Mudrick

Marvin Mudrick was an American writer known for his unique literary style and profound insights into American society and culture. His works often explore the relationship between individuals and society, as well as the exploration of human nature. more

You May Also Like

“All right, so there he is, our representative to the world, Mr. Western Civilization, in codpiece and pantyhose up there on the boards, firing away at the rapt groundlings with his blank verses, not less of a word-slinger and spellbinder than the Bard himself and therefore not to be considered too curiously on such matters as relevance, coherence, consistency, propriety, sanity, common decency.”

WorldMatterCommonCivilizationWesternBoardsSanityRepresentativesVersesBlankConsistencyDecencyRelevanceWestern CivilizationProprietyFiringCoherenceBardsCommon DecencyPantyhose
Author:Marvin Mudrick
Create image

“There is a great difference, then, between "power" and "authority." Power refers to one's ability to coerce others (through physical, economic, or other means) to do one's bidding. One can possess the means of power: physical strength, armaments, and money. But authority must be performed. Authority refers to one's ability to gain the trust and willing obedience of others. While power rests on intimidation, authority survives through inspiration.”

MeanInspirationDifferencesAbilityPowerEconomicWillingAuthorityGainsObedienceIntimidationArmamentBiddingCoercePhysical Strength
Book:No Sense of Place: The Impact of Electronic Media on Social Behavior
Create image

“People are more likely to search for specific books in which they are actively interested and that justify all of that effort of reading them. Electronic images and sounds, however, thrust themselves into people's environments, and the messages are received with little effort. In a sense, people must go after print messages, but electronic messages reach out and touch people. People will expose themselves to information in electronic media that they would never bother to read about in a book.”

PeopleLittlesBookReadingSoundEffortEnvironmentMediaInformationTelevisionMessagesBotherJustifyPrintReach OutThrustElectronic Media
Author:Joshua Meyrowitz
Create image

“Ah, the truth, what a thing it is! I sacrifice so much for it, with people: I forego, for truth's sake, discretion, loyalty, diplomacy, tact, polite manners, elegance, grace, poise, balance, good taste, conformity, image-role, fashionableness, polish, confidences, promises, ambition, consistency, identity, clarity, comprehensibleness, good will, hypocrisy, and lots of other things--amass sacrifice, at truth's altar. God! is truth worth it? I hope it is. It better be, in fact.”

PeopleFactsTruthRolesGraceSacrificeIdentityBalancePromiseTasteAmbitionSakeLoyaltyClarityMannersHypocrisyConformityWorth ItConsistencyPoliteDiplomacyEleganceGood WillAltarsPolishDiscretionGood TasteTactPoise
Author:Marvin L. Cohen
Create image

“My friend had a brilliant idea. This impressed me. It reflected an immense deal of credit on his brain. But when he expressed it,it lost all value, and enjoyed but a commonplace status. My friend blamed this devaluation on the language. "I hate English," he said. So he studied another language. He mastered it so perfectly that there was no room left in his brain for a brilliant idea. Now he has a grudge against words. He refuses to use them. He prefers to shrug or grunt. A new crop of ideas is growing. They show promise of future refinement.”

SaidIdeasUseShowsValuesHateLostLeftLanguageRoomsDealsBrainGrowingPromiseMy FriendsI HateRefuseCreditBrilliantEnjoyedImmenseImpressedCropsCommonplaceGrudgeRefinementBrilliant IdeasGrunt
Author:Marvin L. Cohen
Create image