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Quote by Marion Zimmer Bradley

Work

The Mists of Avalon

This novel delves into the mystical and political world of King Arthur's court, exploring the lives and loves of Guinevere, Morgaine, and other women who played pivotal roles in the legend. more

Author

Marion Zimmer Bradley
Marion Zimmer Bradley

Marion Zimmer Bradley was an influential American science fiction and fantasy author known for her feminist perspective and exploration of gender roles. Her works spanned a wide range of genres from science fiction to fantasy, with her most famous series being 'The Mists of Avalon' and 'The Darkover' series. more

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“This book does not try to “document” any particular aspect of Indian life. To me, doing such a thing would seem a pretentious and pseudo-scientific undertaking, especially for someone from the West. The photographs also make no intentional social or political statement. I never say, when discussing my work, that I am “concerned” with anything (another favorite word tossed about, all too much, by young and socially conscious post-modernists).”

“Man is folly itself. Let this one fact only be considered: those same Greeks believed that they alone of the nations possessed the thing they called philosophia — the love of the subtleties of wisdom; and even while they were thus believing, the Vedic Hymns had been sung; the Brahmin had codified the intricate activities of the Attributes Sut, Raj, and Tum; and the Boodh had denied that Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahadeva were emanations of the Spirit of God. Such is the inborn vanity and shallowness of man.”

“Oh, to live in the fields, to die in the fields, repeating to yourself the one spirit-strewing word, which no one knows but he who receives that word; and it is received in silence. Here amongst themselves they all drink the wine of life, the wine of new joy — thought Piotr; the sunset here cannot be compressed into a book, and here the sunset is a mystery; in the West there are many books; in Russia there are many unspoken words. Russia is that on which the book is smashed, knowledge dissipated, and life itself burns up; on the day when the West is grafted onto Russia, a world-wide conflagration will engulf it: everything will burn that can burn, for only from the ashes of death will rise the soul of paradise, the Fire-bird.”

“As they walked down the corridor, Tara was looking at the paintings hanging on the walls. She turned and said, "Look at that! A perfect blend between the Orient and Occident." She then grabbed Amir by the hand and he gave it a little squeeze. "One side emulates Uncle Sam. The other Uncle Shams," she continued.”

“A core part of...'orthodox masculinity' has its bedrock in not doing, saying or being anything that might be seen as feminine... The first rule of being a man is 'no sissy stuff'. Instead, these sexist and misogynistic constructs at the heart of orthodox masculine gender performance are understood as helping shore up the theory of men's 'natural' dominance over effeminate men and women. Men who fail to live up to the standards set...are excluded or marginalised to the extent of their transgression. The fear of the loss of power and male privilege lies in the rejection of masculinity's apparent binary and complementary opposite, femininity.”