I invented the historical spy novel. Alan Furst More Quotes by Alan Furst More Quotes From Alan Furst Politicians were like talking dogs in a circus: the fact that they existed was uncommonly interesting, but no sane person would actually believe what they said Alan Furst dog talking believe You can't make accommodations in crucial situations and be heroic. Alan Furst accommodations heroic situation Whether you like it or not, Paris is the beating heart of Western civilisation. It's where it all began and ended. Alan Furst you-like-it paris heart If you can live in Paris, maybe you should. Alan Furst paris ifs should Once you have your characters, they tell you what to write, you don't tell them. Alan Furst writing character Live today, for tomorrow we die. Alan Furst live-for-today tomorrow today Wherever God has planted you, you must know how to flower - translated from a French saying Alan Furst know-how flower knows I have a very serious censorship office inside my head; it censors things that I could tell you that you would never forget, and I don't want to be the person to stick that in your brain. Alan Furst office want brain The best Paris I know now is in my head. Alan Furst paris knows I don't inflict horrors on readers. Alan Furst horror reader One is what one has the nerve to pretend to be. Alan Furst nerves I'm basically an Upper West Side Jewish writer. Alan Furst west-side west sides You write a lot of books; you hope you get better. Alan Furst get-better writing book I don't just want my books to be about the '30s and '40s. I want them to read as if they had been written then. I think of them as '40s novels, written in the conservative narrative past. Alan Furst book past thinking I expect that my readers have been to Europe, I expect them to have some feeling for a foreign language, I expect them to have read books - there are a lot of people like that! That's my audience. Alan Furst europe book people My novels are about the European reality, not about chases. You want chases, get somebody else's books. Alan Furst want book reality If you're a writer, you're always working. Alan Furst always-working ifs The printing presses of the state treasuries cranked out reams of paper currency- showing wise kinds and blissful martyrs- while bankers wept and peasants starved. Alan Furst paper wise bankers And, with much of Europe occupied by Nazi Germany, and Mussolini's armies in Albania, on the Greek frontier, one wasn't sure what came next. So, don't trust the telephone. Or the newspapers. Or the radio. Or tomorrow. Alan Furst army greek europe Good people don't spend their time being good. Good people want to spend their time mowing the lawn and playing with the dog. But bad people spend all their time being bad. It is all they think about. Alan Furst dog people thinking
