Kobo Abe Professions : Writer Born : March 7, 1924 Died : January 22, 1993 Browse All Authors Top 26 quotes by Kobo Abe Do you shovel to survive, or survive to shovel? Kobo Abe shovels Defeat begins with the fear that one has lost. Kobo Abe defeat lost When I look at small things, I think I shall go on living: drops of rain, leather gloves shrunk by being wet... When I look at something too big, I want to die: the Diet Building, or a map of the world. Kobo Abe rain looks thinking Mankind, which has always been a part of nature, has reached a point where it is too much for nature to accommodate. Kobo Abe accommodate mankind too-much A tower of illusion, all of it, made of illusory bricks and full of holes. If life were made up only of imporant things, it really would be a dangerous house of glass, scarcely to be handled carelessly. But everyday life was exactly like the headlines. And so everybody, knowing the meaninglessness of existence, sets the centre of his compass at his own home. Kobo Abe glasses knowing home Without the threat of punishment, there is no joy in flight. Kobo Abe punishment flight joy It's a dangerous dog that doesn't bark. Kobo Abe bark dangerous dog Suicide is an escape from life. What is life? An escape from death. This means that each of us must die twice. There is the death waiting for us ahead, and the death that comes pursuing from behind.... Once you are free at least from the death that comes pursuing you, you can relax and enjoy life as you go along. Kobo Abe enjoy-life suicide mean Work seemed something fundamental for man, something which enabled him to endure the aimless flight of time. Kobo Abe flight work men Nature with her wealth of birds and flowers, Has in her heart a place for every weed; For her quick eyes require no microscope To note the varied wonders and delights That the Creator's humblest works possess. Kobo Abe weed nature flower Many people ask why a writer commits suicide. But I think that people who ask don't know the vanity and the nothingness of writing. I think it is very usual and natural for a writer to commit suicide, because in order to keep on writing he must be a very strong person. Kobo Abe strong suicide writing Green makes me think of silence, or maybe it's loneliness. I get the feeling of a terribly distant star. Kobo Abe stars loneliness thinking Far happier he, who, young and full of pride And radiant with the glory of the sun, Leaves earth before his singing time is done. All wounds of Time the graveyard flowers hide, His beauty lives, as fresh as when he died. Kobo Abe flower pride death Things have value Because somebody buys them, Because somebody pays money; If you can find a buyer, Even a lie is worth a thousand yen. Kobo Abe buyers pay lying The most frightening thing in the world is to discover the abnormal in that which is closest to us. Kobo Abe abnormal frightening world Time cannot be spurred on like a horse. Kobo Abe horse time The minute you begin to have doubts, the floor under your feet starts to shake. Kobo Abe minutes doubt feet Yet there seemed to be some truth in the law of probability, according to which the chance of success is directly proportionate to the number of repetitions. Kobo Abe chance law numbers Perhaps the act of writing is necessary when nothing happens. Kobo Abe things-happen happens writing A plausible rumor / Seems a lot more believable / Than the truth itself. Kobo Abe plausible rumor seems Similar Authors Ihab Hassan writer Ingmar Bergman writer Isabella Bird writer Ivan E. Coyote writer Al Feldstein writer Bert Sugar writer All Authors
