Anthony Burgess, November, 1986 Quotes

A collection of quotes by Anthony Burgess, November, 1986.

Anthony Burgess (1917-1993) was a British novelist, critic, and composer. He is best known for his dystopian novel "A Clockwork Orange" (1962), which explores themes of free will and the nature of evil. Burgess wrote over 30 novels, including "Earthly Powers" (1980) and "The Wanting Seed" (1962), as well as numerous works of non-fiction, screenplays, and musical compositions. His diverse body of work often tackled philosophical and moral questions, and he was praised for his linguistic virtuosity and imaginative storytelling. Burgess's impact on literature and popular culture continues to be felt long after his death.

Readers of the twenty-first chapter must decide for themselves whether it enhances the book they presumably know or is really a discardable limb. I meant the book to end in this way, but my aesthetic judgement may have been faulty. Writers are rarely their own best critics, nor are critics. 'Quod scripsi scripsi' said Pontius Pilate when he made Jesus Christ the King of the Jews. 'What I have written I have Written.' We can destroy what we have written but we cannot unwrite it. I leave what I wrote with what Dr. Johnson called frigid indifference to the judgement of that .00000001 of the American population which cares about such things. Eat this sweetish segment or spit it out. You are free.

Anthony Burgess, November, 1986

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