Quote by Anthony Burgess
If you write fiction you are, in a sense, corrupted. There's a tremendous corruptibility for the fiction writer because you're dealing mainly with sex and violence. These remain the basic themes, they're the basic themes of Shakespeare whether you like it or not.
Summary
In this quote, the speaker suggests that writing fiction can corrupt the writer to some extent. The corruption arises from the exploration and depiction of sex and violence, which are considered fundamental themes in literature. The reference to Shakespeare implies that these themes have persisted throughout history and are unavoidable in storytelling. Therefore, the act of engaging with these themes in fiction writing can potentially have a corrupting influence on the writer's perspective and sensibilities.