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Quote by Jane Smiley

“Is human nature basically good or evil? No economist can embark upon his profession without considering this question, and yet they all seem to. And they all seem to think human nature is basically good, or they wouldn't be surprised by the effects of deregulation.”

Quote by Jane Smiley

Author

Jane Smiley is an accomplished American novelist known for her profound character development and rich imagination. Her works span a variety of literary genres, including historical fiction, contemporary life, and children's literature. Her novels, such as 'A Thousand Acres' and 'Bluebird', have received widespread acclaim. more

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“One of the profound effects of economics in our day is that the people with the money and the power have embraced the guilt-free, external-less, everything-will-turn-out-okay-in-the-end philosophy of economics in order to justify their own evil works. And the economists, for the most part, have sucked up to that money.”

People Ends Philosophy Order Turns Evil Effects Economics Okay Guilt Profound Justify Economist Guilt Free

Author:Jane Smiley

“Sometimes, a novel is like a train: the first chapter is a comfortable seat in an attractive carriage, and the narrative speeds up. But there are other sorts of trains, and other sorts of novels. They rush by in the dark; passengers framed in the lighted windows are smiling and enjoying themselves.”

Firsts Sometimes Enjoy Dark Novel Comfortable Window Train Speed Narrative Attractive Seats Chapters Passengers Framed Carriages

Author:Jane Smiley

“'Ape House' is an ambitious novel in several ways, for which it is to be admired, and it is certainly an easy read, but because Gruen is not quite prepared for the philosophical implications of her subject, it is not as deeply involving emotionally or as interesting thematically as it could be.”

Way House Easy Interesting Novel Subjects Philosophical Prepared Ambitious Implications Apes Involving

Author:Jane Smiley

“Combined families often get bad reviews, but the family my children got when they traded away 'the suffocating four-person' nuclear one is one that has benefited all of them.”

Children Persons Four Nuclear My Children Reviews Suffocating Bad Reviews

Author:Jane Smiley

“I have reared, or helped to rear, five children and the scariest bit, bar none, is the learning to drive part. It has filled me with anxiety not only about the children, but also about my former self and my friends.”

Children Self Bits Five Anxiety My Friends Filled Bars Former

Author:Jane Smiley

“I was asked by an editor to consider writing something about an American inventor. I asked him if he knew who invented the computer. He said he didn't. In that case, I told him, I should write a book about John Vincent Atanasoff.”

Ifs Should Writing Said Book Cases Computer Editors Inventor

Author:Jane Smiley

“I wrote the Dickens book because I loved Dickens, not because I felt a kinship with him, but after writing the book it seemed to me that there was at least one similarity between us and that was that Dickens loved to write and wrote with the ease and conviction of breathing. Me, too.”

Writing Book Felt Conviction Breathing Ease Similarity Dickens Kinship

Book:Thirteen Ways of Looking at the Novel

Source: Thirteen Ways of Looking at the Novel

“In December 1998, I considered myself an expert on love. I was almost a year into a relationship, one that had grown more slowly than I had wished, but once it flowered it was much more stimulating than any marriage or relationship I had known.”

Years Known Experts December

Author:Jane Smiley

“In many ways, being honest about 'Huckleberry Finn' goes right to the heart of whether we can be honest about our heritage and our identity as Americans.”

Way Heart Honest Identity Being Honest Heritage Huckleberry

Author:Jane Smiley

“In the traditional urban novel, there is only survival or not. The suburban idea, the conformist idea, that agony can be seen to and cured by doctors or psychoanalysis or self-knowledge is nowhere to be found in the city. Talking is a way of life, but it is not a cure. Same with religion.”

Way Ideas Self Found Cities Talking Novel Survival Doctors Traditional Cures Agony Self Knowledge Urban Psychoanalysis Conformist

Author:Jane Smiley