Ian Mcewan Quotes

A collection of quotes by Ian Mcewan.

Ian McEwan is a renowned British novelist and screenwriter. Born on June 21, 1948, in Aldershot, Hampshire, England, he was raised in various military bases due to his father's profession. McEwan attended the University of Sussex, where he completed his Bachelor's degree in English Literature and received his Master's degree in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia.

McEwan's writing career kicked off with the publication of his first collection of short stories, "First Love, Last Rites," in 1975. Since then, he has gone on to establish himself as a master storyteller. His novels often explore themes of love, morality, and human psychology and have garnered critical acclaim for their intricate plots and vivid characters. Some of his most notable works include "Atonement," "Enduring Love," and "Saturday," each receiving widespread recognition and numerous literary awards.

In addition to his successful career as a novelist, McEwan has also ventured into screenwriting. He adapted several of his own novels into films, including "Atonement," which received widespread acclaim and multiple Academy Award nominations.

Throughout his career, McEwan has been celebrated as one of the most significant voices in contemporary literature. His works often delve into thought-provoking and profound subjects, capturing the complexities of human nature and offering deep insights into the human condition. With his distinctive style and compelling narratives, McEwan has cemented his place as one of the most influential writers of his generation.

I apologize for being obvious, but every time I watch the cu

I apologize for being obvious, but every time I watch the curtain come down on even a halfway decent production of a Shakespeare play I feel a little sorrowful that I'll never know the man, or any man of such warm intelligence.

Perhaps I'd been a slow developer, but I was well into my fo

Perhaps I'd been a slow developer, but I was well into my forties before I realized that you don't have to comply with a request just because it's reasonable or reasonably put. Age is the great dis-obliger. You can be yourself and say no.

Wisdom Life Age Confidence

If life was a dream, then dying must be the moment when you

If life was a dream, then dying must be the moment when you woke up. It was so simple it must be true. You died, the dream was over, you woke up. That's what people meant when they talked about going to heaven. It was like waking up.

Life Death Heaven Dreaming Waking Up

When its gone, you'll know what a gift love was. you'll suff

When its gone, you'll know what a gift love was. you'll suffer like this. So go back and fight to keep it.

And though you think the world is at your feet, it can rise

And though you think the world is at your feet, it can rise up and tread on you.

Life Inexperience

He knew these last lines by heart and mouthed them now in th

He knew these last lines by heart and mouthed them now in the darkness. My reason for life. Not living, but life. That was the touch. And she was his reason for life, and why he must survive.

Life Love Sad Ian Mcewan Atonement Love Conquers All

The anticipation and dread he felt at seeing her was also a

The anticipation and dread he felt at seeing her was also a kind of sensual pleasure, and surrounding it, like an embrace, was a general elation--it might hurt, it was horribly inconvenient, no good might come of it, but he had found out for himself what it was to be in love, and it thrilled him.

At best he read popular science magazines like the Scientifi

At best he read popular science magazines like the Scientific American he had now, to keep himself up-to-date, in layman's terms, with physics generally. But even then his concentration was marred, for a lifetime's habit made him inconveniently watchful for his own name. He saw it as if in bold. It could leap out at him from an unread double page of small print, and sometimes he could sense it coming before the page turn.

Humor Funny Science Ego Physics Ian Mcewan

I think of novels in architectural terms. You have to enter

I think of novels in architectural terms. You have to enter at the gate, and this gate must be constructed in such a way that the reader has immediate confidence in the strength of the building.

A twenty-one-year-old writer is likely to be inhibited by a

A twenty-one-year-old writer is likely to be inhibited by a lack of usable experience. Childhood and adolescence were something I knew.

True intelligence requires fabulous imagination.

True intelligence requires fabulous imagination.

London in the '70s was a pretty catastrophic dump, I can tel

London in the '70s was a pretty catastrophic dump, I can tell you. We had every kind of industrial trouble we had severe energy problems we were under constant terrorist attack from Irish terrorist groups who started a bombing campaign in English cities politics were fantastically polarized between left and right.

My parents were keen for me to have the education they thems

My parents were keen for me to have the education they themselves never had. They weren't able to guide me towards particular books, but they encouraged me to read, which I did, randomly and compulsively.

I don't believe there's any inherent darkness at the center

I don't believe there's any inherent darkness at the center of religion at all. I think religion actually is a morally neutral force.

Politics is the enemy of the imagination.

Politics is the enemy of the imagination.

I actually find novels that are determined to be funny at ev

I actually find novels that are determined to be funny at every turn quite oppressive.

What reader wants to be told what attitude to strike?

What reader wants to be told what attitude to strike?

In my experience an appreciative letter from a fellow writer

In my experience an appreciative letter from a fellow writer means a lot.

One important theme is the extent to which one can ever corr

One important theme is the extent to which one can ever correct an error, especially outside any frame of religious forgiveness. All of us have done something we regret - how we manage to remove that from our conscience, or whether that's even possible, interested me.

It is not the first duty of the novelist to provide blueprin

It is not the first duty of the novelist to provide blueprints for insurrection, or uplifting tales of successful resistance for the benefit of the opposition. The naming of what is there is what is important.