Quote by Nick Hornby
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.
By Nick Hornby
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