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Quote by Gao Xingjian

“If, while observing the boundless universe, the writer is able to scrutinise his own self as well as others, the resulting incisiveness of his observations will far surpass objective descriptions of reality.”

Quote by Gao Xingjian

Author

Gao Xingjian, born on January 4, 1940, in Guilin, Guangxi, China, is a renowned novelist. His works are known for their unique literary style and profound social criticism, and he has won numerous international literary awards. more

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“The human species does not necessarily move in stages from progress to progress ... history and civilization do not advance in tandem. From the stagnation of Medieval Europe to the decline and chaos in recent times on the mainland of Asia and to the catastrophes of two world wars in the twentieth century, the methods of killing people became increasingly sophisticated. Scientific and technological progress certainly does not imply that humankind as a result becomes more civilized.”

“Man tends to think that he is a creator, that he is like God. This is especially true of intellectuals, and in the last century, intellectuals tended to forget that they were like everyone else. Writing this book was a description of man going from a state of God back to a state of man, back to being a normal person.”

Thinking Men Writing Persons Book States Lasts Forget Century Normal Creator Description

Author:Gao Xingjian

“When you're telling a story, you've got to give details.”

Giving Stories Details

Author:Gao Xingjian

“Maybe there isn't a God after all, maybe there's only a universe rotating by itself like a millstone.”

God Universe Rotating

Author:Gao Xingjian

“You contemplate and you wander without any worries, between heaven and earth, in your own private world, and in this way you acquire supreme freedom.”

World Way Earth Heaven Worry Supreme Wander Acquire Contemplating Heaven And Earth

Author:Gao Xingjian

“Once the buttons are undone, you know how it'll all end. It's all in the game, there are no miracles.”

Knows Ends Games Know How Miracle Buttons Undone

Author:Gao Xingjian

“When I came overseas, I realized that there are many ideologies and many trends, and it's also very hard to produce honest art and honest literature. I decided that I didn't want to follow any of these ideologies or trends, because that's also a kind of pressure that doesn't allow absolute freedom. So I decided that I was only going to produce works that were satisfactory to me, and that meant not following any trends and being anti-ideological.”

Want Kind Art Hard Literature Honest Produce Decided Absolutes Pressure Following I Realized Ideology Trends Ideological Absolute Freedom

Author:Gao Xingjian

“In my view the time for rousing revolutionary literature has passed, because the revolution has already revolutionised itself to death and has left behind only bitterness and a sort of weariness, listlessness and even nausea.”

Literature Left Views Behinds Revolution Revolutionary Bitterness Left Behind Weariness Nausea

Author:Gao Xingjian

“There are numerous layers to truth, and the simple and superficial statement of facts cannot satisfy the writer.”

Facts Simple Statements Layers Superficial

Author:Gao Xingjian

“Since it was announced that I had been awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has condemned my works and criticized them harshly. All of my works are now banned from getting into China or being published in China. What author would want to return to a country that banned his or her books?”

Want Book Country Literature Return China Chinese Prize Ministry Nobel Nobel Prize Banned

Author:Gao Xingjian