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Quote by Flann O'Brien

Work

At Swim-two-birds

At Swim-Two-Birds is a satirical and philosophical novel that intertwines multiple storylines and perspectives. The work is known for its innovative use of language and its exploration of the nature of fiction and reality. The novel is a playful examination of storytelling, featuring a character who is both a writer and a character within the story. more

Author

Flann O'Brien
Flann O'Brien

Flann O'Brien, born on October 5, 1911, and died on April 1, 1966, was an Irish novelist known for his unique humor and satirical style. His works, including 'The Third Policeman' and 'The Short Stories of Flann O'Brien', are celebrated for their absurdity and wit. O'Brien is considered an important figure in Irish literary history. more

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“I pity you Juliet. You don't know what love is. You think it's Valentine's Day, and weekends in Italy. You think it's drinking champagne in some expensive restaurant and being bought stupid bloody underwear. But that's just the trimmings. The decoration. They're just gestures. Without trust, and respect, and kindness, they don't mean shit. I thought love was about caring about someone day in and day out, about being there when it's rucking amazing and still wanting to be there when it feels like crap, I thought it was about forever.”

“As a rule, we don't like to feel to sad or lonely or depressed. So why do we like music (or books or movies) that evoke in us those same negative emotions? Why do we choose to experience in art the very feelings we avoid in real life? Aristotle deals with a similar question in his analysis of tragedy. Tragedy, after all, is pretty gruesome. […] There's Sophocles's Oedipus, who blinds himself after learning that he has killed his father and slept with his mother. Why would anyone watch this stuff? Wouldn't it be sick to enjoy watching it? […] Tragedy's pleasure doesn't make us feel "good" in any straightforward sense. On the contrary, Aristotle says, the real goal of tragedy is to evoke pity and fear in the audience. Now, to speak of the pleasure of pity and fear is almost oxymoronic. But the point of bringing about these emotions is to achieve catharsis of them - a cleansing, a purification, a purging, or release. Catharsis is at the core of tragedy's appeal.”