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Novel Quotes

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Novel Quotes

“Suspending moral judgment is not the immorality of the novel; it is its morality. The morality that stands against the ineradicable human habit of judging instantly, ceaselessly, and everyone; of judging before, and in the absence of, understanding. From the viewpoint of the novel's wisdom, that fervid readiness to judge is the most detestable stupidity, the most pernicious evil.”

Humans Evil Understanding Views Moral Novel Judging Habit Morality Judgment Stupidity Absence Readiness Immorality Pernicious Moral Judgment

Author:Milan Kundera

“The "Lucifer Effect" describes the point in time when an ordinary, normal person first crosses the boundary between good and evil to engage in an evil action. It represents a transformation of human character that is significant in its consequences. Such transformations are more likely to occur in novel settings, in "total situations," where social situational forces are sufficiently powerful to overwhelm, or set aside temporally, personal attributes of morality, compassion, or sense of justice and fair play.”

“Morality in the novel is the trembling instability of the balance. When the novelist puts his thumb in the scale, to pull down the balance to his own predilection, that is immorality.”

Novel Balance Morality Scales Novelists Thumbs Trembling Immorality Instability

Book:Delphi Complete Works of D.H. Lawrence (Illustrated)

Source: Delphi Complete Works of D.H. Lawrence (Illustrated)

“The novel is a perfect medium for revealing to us the changing rainbow of our living relationships. The novel can help us to live,as nothing else can: no didactic Scripture, anyhow. If the novelist keeps his thumb out of the pan.”

Ifs Helping Literature Perfect Novel Morality Scripture Mediums Novelists Rainbow Revealing Thumbs Didactic

Book:Selected Poems of D.h. Lawrence

Source: Selected Poems of D.h. Lawrence

“If a novel reveals true and vivid relationships, it is a moral work, no matter what the relationships consist in. If the novelisthonours the relationship in itself, it will be a great novel.”

Ifs Matter Literature Moral Novel Morality No Matter What Vivid Great Novels

Book:Study of Thomas Hardy and Other Essays

Source: Study of Thomas Hardy and Other Essays

“Any novel of importance has a purpose. If only the "purpose" be large enough, and not at outs with the passional inspiration.”

Ifs Enough Inspiration Purpose Passion Literature Novel Morality Importance

Book:Study of Thomas Hardy and Other Essays

Source: Study of Thomas Hardy and Other Essays

“Suspending moral judgment is not the immorality of the novel; it is its morality.”

Moral Novel Morality Judgment Immorality Moral Judgment

Author:Milan Kundera