Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by Djuna Barnes

Quote by Djuna Barnes

Work

Nightwood

Nightwood is a complex and haunting narrative that delves into the psychological and emotional complexities of its characters. The story is set against the backdrop of the turbulent period following World War I, offering a glimpse into the lives of individuals grappling with their identities and desires. The novel is known for its poetic prose and its exploration of the nature of love, the struggle for self-acceptance, and the search for belonging. more

Author

Djuna Barnes
Djuna Barnes

Djuna Barnes, an American writer, was born on June 12, 1892, and died on June 18, 1982. She is known for her unique literary style and profound modernist thoughts. more

You May Also Like

“She held her breath, a desperate attempt to slow down her heartbeat, a desperate attempt to get away. One second. Two seconds. Three. Four. Five, Six. Seven seconds. Suicide. She crashed into the door frame, gasping for air. She'd given herself away and now he knew she was there, alone, afraid, standing there on the other side of the wall. She'd given herself away.”

“Do you know the answer to the riddle?' He crossed his arms. 'Cheating, are you?' 'She never said I couldn't ask for help.' 'Ah, but after she had you beaten to hell, she ordered us not to help you.' I waited. But he shook his head. 'Even if I felt like helping you, I couldn't. She gives the order, and we all bow to it.' He picked a fleck of dust off his black jacket. 'It's a good thing she likes me, isn't it?' I opened my mouth to press him- to beg him. If it meant instantaneous freedom- 'Don't waste your breath,' he said. 'I can't tell you- no one here can. If she ordered us all to stop breathing, we would have to obey that, too.' He frowned at me and snapped his fingers. The soot, the dirt, the ash vanished off my skin, leaving me as clean as if I'd bathed. 'There. A gift- for having the balls to even ask.' I gave him a flat stare, but he motioned to the hearth. It was spotless- and my bucket was filled with lentils.”

“When I read, I read desperately because I was desperate — desperate to exchange my own anxious thoughts for the calming thoughts of the book’s narrator. I read like that so, for the length of each book, I could be transported out of my body, out of my mind, and into another world — a world where I didn’t have to be me.”

“He used to be like a Snake Oil Salesman in the wild west hawking his wares in the town square as if at the carny. Branded tower condos. Steaks. Deodorant. Water. Vodka. Ostensible educations--those were pure scam. Sneakers. Playing cards. NFTs. Bibles. Swatches of his found-guilty suit. A Used Car salesman selling cars designed to run just long enough off the lot to get him the bucks and the battle win and plow down everyone around him. But now he's desperate, losing even his ability to coerce and con, which is the only ability he ever had.”

“He's already been president. We know his policies, his jurist picks, and all his methodologies. We know who he cozies up to and who he leaves out in the cold and diseased air... He's become a Used Trump Salesman. And all his marketers, campaign officials, and media strategists are Used Trump Salesmen with a desperate, deteriorating Used Trump they're equally as desperate to sell.”