I don't mind nothing happening in a book, but nothing happening in a phony way--characters saying things people never say, doing jobs that don't fit, the whole works--is simply asking too much of a reader. Something happening in a phony way must beat nothing happening in a phony way every time, right? I mean, you could prove that, mathematically, in an equation, and you can't often apply science to literature.

Summary

This quote suggests that the speaker doesn't mind when a book lacks action as long as it feels authentic. However, they find it unreasonable to expect readers to accept a storyline where nothing genuine occurs. They emphasize the importance of realism in characters' dialogue, actions, and occupations, arguing that even if something inauthentic happens, it is preferred to a completely uneventful narrative. The quote also implies that scientific reasoning may not always apply to the realm of literature, where the focus lies more on the emotional and human experience.

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