If you can't annoy somebody, there is little point in writing. Kingsley Amis More Quotes by Kingsley Amis More Quotes From Kingsley Amis When I find someone I respect writing about an edgy, nervous wine that dithered in the glass, I cringe. When I hear someone I don't respect talking about an austere, unforgiving wine, I turn a bit austere and unforgiving myself. When I come across stuff like that and remember about the figs and bananas, I want to snigger uneasily. You can call a wine red, and dry, and strong, and pleasant. After that, watch out. Kingsley Amis wine strong writing Be glad you're fifty - andThat you got there while things were nice,In a world worth looking at twice.So here's wishing you many more years,But not all that many. Cheers! Kingsley Amis nice cheer years I once wrote deduceable instead of deducible in a book, though nobody then or since has taken me up on it. A small point as they go, perhaps, but Rule I of writing acceptably is to get everything right as far as you can, and in this case I had neglected to. Kingsley Amis taken writing book To refer even in passing to unpublished or struggling authors and their problems is to put oneself at some risk, so I will say here and now that any unsolicited manuscripts or typescripts sent to me will be destroyed unread. You must make your way yourself. Why you should be so set on the nearly always disappointing profession is a puzzling question. Kingsley Amis risk struggle writing Man's love is of man's life a thing apart;Girls aren't like that. Kingsley Amis girl love-is men The Scandinavians are dear people but they've never been what you might call bywords for wit and sparkle, have they? Kingsley Amis sparkle might people It's never pleasant to have one's unquestioning beliefs put in their historical context, as I know from experience, I can assure you. Kingsley Amis pleasant historical belief Jake was close to tears. In that moment he saw the world in its true light, as a place where nothing had ever been any good and nothing of significance done: no art worth a second look, no philosophy of the slightest appositeness, no law but served the state, no history that gave an inkling of how it had been and what had happened. And no love, only egotism, infatuation and lust. Kingsley Amis light philosophy art Outside every fat man there is an even fatter man trying to close in. Kingsley Amis food men funny It's a letdown if the comedian doesn't finally actually really sit on his hat. Kingsley Amis letdowns hats comedian A blonde girl wearing a man's shirt but in all other visible respects unmanly to the point of outright effeminacy. Kingsley Amis girl blonde men I want a dish to taste good, rather than to have been seethed in pig's milk and served wrapped in a rhubarb leaf with grated thistle root. Kingsley Amis roots pigs food It is not extraordinary that the extraterrestrial origin of women was a recurrent theme of science fiction. Kingsley Amis theme women fiction Misprize common sense at your peril is my motto. Kingsley Amis peril motto common-sense More always means worse. Kingsley Amis mean If you are using an adverb, you have got the verb wrong. Kingsley Amis adverbs verbs ifs Education is one thing and instruction, however worthy, necessary and incidentally or monetarily educative, another. Kingsley Amis one-thing worthy instruction One of the great benefits of organised religion is that you can be forgiven your sins, which must be a wonderful thing. I mean, I carry my sins around with me, there's nobody there to forgive them. Kingsley Amis benefits forgiving mean Wives and such are constantly filling up any refrigerator they have a claim on, even its ice-compartment, with irrelevant rubbish like food. Kingsley Amis filling-up ice wife We should be wrong to demand that a critic must stay on the point all the time; it is enough if he remains in orbit around it. Kingsley Amis orbit demand enough
