John Fowles Quotes

A collection of quotes by John Fowles.

John Fowles was an English novelist, born on March 31, 1926. He is best known for his acclaimed works such as "The Collector" (1963) and "The French Lieutenant's Woman" (1969). Fowles' novels often blended elements of psychological suspense, existentialism, and historical fiction, earning him a reputation as a unique and innovative writer. He was celebrated for his literary craftsmanship and exploration of complex themes. John Fowles passed away on November 5, 2005, leaving behind a significant contribution to twentieth-century literature.

We all write poems. It is simply that poets are the ones who

We all write poems. It is simply that poets are the ones who write in words.

All good science is art. And all good art is science.

All good science is art. And all good art is science.

Art Science

I am one in a row of specimens. It's when I try to flutter o

I am one in a row of specimens. It's when I try to flutter out of line that he hates me. I'm meant to be dead, pinned, always the same, always beautiful. He knows that part of my beauty is being alive. but it's the dead me he wants. He wants me living-but-dead.

Beauty Control Kidnap

I just think of things as beautiful or not. Can't you unders

I just think of things as beautiful or not. Can't you understand? I don't think of good or bad. Just of beautiful or ugly. I think a lot of nice things are ugly and a lot of nasty things are beautiful.

Good Beauty Bad Ugliness

Why should I struggle through hundreds of pages of fabricati

Why should I struggle through hundreds of pages of fabrication to reach half a dozen very little truths?''For fun?''Fun!' He pounced on the word. 'Words are for truth. For facts. Not fiction.

Truth Fiction Irony

There had always been a conflict in me between mystery and m

There had always been a conflict in me between mystery and meaning. I had pursued tha latter, worshipped the latter as a doctor. As a socialist and rationalist. But then I saw that the attempt to scientize reality, to name it and categorize it and vivisect it out of existence, was like trying to remove the air from the atmosphere. In the creating of the vacuum it was the experimenter who died, because he was inside the vacuum.

Reality Science Faith

In some mysterious way woods have never seemed to me to be s

In some mysterious way woods have never seemed to me to be static things. In physical terms, I move through them yet in metaphysical ones, they seem to move through me.

Nature

The most important questions in life can never be answered b

The most important questions in life can never be answered by anyone except oneself.

Questions

There comes a time in each life like a point of fulcrum. At

There comes a time in each life like a point of fulcrum. At that time you must accept yourself. It is not anymore what you will become. It is what you are and always will be.

Self Respect

Duty largely consists of pretending that the trivial is crit

Duty largely consists of pretending that the trivial is critical.

Duty

Content is a word unknown to life; it is also a word unknown

Content is a word unknown to life; it is also a word unknown to man.

Contentment

There are only two races on this planet - the intelligent an

There are only two races on this planet - the intelligent and the stupid.

Intelligence

Nothingever happened on this globe, for good, at which some

Nothingever happened on this globe, for good, at which some people did not have their fill of laughter in the onset; and knowing that such as these would be blind anyway, he thought it quite as well that they should wrinkle up their eyes in grins, as have a malady in the less attractive forms.

Charles Dickens

Dad