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Quote by E. M. Forster

“This element of surprise or mystery — the detective element as it is sometimes rather emptily called — is of great importance in a plot. It occurs through a suspension of the time-sequence; a mystery is a pocket in time, and it occurs crudely, as in "Why did the queen die?" and more subtly in half-explained gestures and words, the true meaning of which only dawns pages ahead. Mystery is essential to a plot, and cannot be appreciated without intelligence.”

Quote by E. M. Forster

Author

E. M. Forster
E. M. Forster

E. M. Forster was an English novelist known for his modernist works. His most famous novel, 'A Passage to India', delves into themes of colonialism and the intricacies of human relationships. Forster's writing is renowned for its wit, irony, and philosophical depth. more

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“The test of a round character is whether it is capable of surprising in a convincing way. If it never surprises it is flat. Flat characters ... in their purest form ... are constructed round a single idea or quality; when there is more than one factor to them, we get the beginning of the curve toward the round. The really flat character can be experessed in one sentence such as, "I will never desert Mr Micawber." There is Mrs Micawber - she says she won't desert Mr Micawber; she doesn't, and there she is.”