Never underestimate how extraordinarily difficult it is to understand a situation from another person's point of view. Eleanor Catton More Quotes by Eleanor Catton More Quotes From Eleanor Catton All men want their whores to be unhappy. Eleanor Catton unhappy want men It is a feature of human nature to give what we most wish to receive. Eleanor Catton human-nature wish giving The proper way to understand any social system was to view it from above. Eleanor Catton social views way The readership of Victorian novels, when they were published, was much less diverse. People were probably white, and had enough money to be literate. Very often, there are phrases in Italian, German and French that are left untranslated. Eleanor Catton money enough white people I grew up on the South Island of New Zealand, in a city chosen and beloved by my parents for its proximity to the mountains - Christchurch is two hours distant from the worn saddle of Arthur's Pass, the mountain village that was and is my father's spiritual touchstone, his chapel and cathedral in the wild. Eleanor Catton city parents village father A trip to the picture framer's, with a selection of prints, is the most joyous outing I can imagine. I've spent more money on framing than on anything else I own. Eleanor Catton picture own i-can money The zodiac is a system a person can play with and see meaning in. Eleanor Catton meaning person see play I think that, in principle, a workshop is such a beautiful idea - an environment in which writers who are collectively apprenticed to the craft of writing can come together in order to collectively improve. Eleanor Catton think together writing beautiful There are a lot of people of my generation in New Zealand literature, young writers on their first or second books, that I'm just really excited about. There seems to be a big gap between the generation above and us; it seems to be quite radically different in terms of form and approach. Eleanor Catton generation new literature people What I wanted to create with 'The Luminaries' is a book that had structural patterns built in that didn't matter, but if you cared about them, you could look into the book and see them. Eleanor Catton look you matter book I don't feel like literature has the power to alienate. I think that's something people feel if they don't connect with a work of art. But I don't think a work of art can actively reject the person who's looking at it or reading it. Eleanor Catton power work people art I believe really strongly in imitation, actually: I think it's the first place you need to go to if you're going to be able to understand how something works. True mimicry is actually quite difficult. Eleanor Catton place think you believe I'm the rogue Canadian in my family - I just happened to be born here while my parents were studying here. Eleanor Catton studying parents born family I don't see that my age has anything to do with what is between the covers of my book, any more than the fact that I am right-handed. It's a fact of my biography, but it's uninteresting. Eleanor Catton i-am see age book The ability of humans to read meaning into patterns is the most defining characteristic we have. Eleanor Catton read meaning ability patterns There was a computer in our garage when I was growing up, and I'd go out there in winter and wrap myself in a blanket and write a story. Eleanor Catton story myself growing-up winter I think that's what fiction writing is actually all about. It's about trying to solve problems in creative ways. Eleanor Catton problems think creative writing I feel very strongly influenced by long-form box-set TV drama... I feel really excited that, at last, the novel has found its on-screen equivalent, because the emotional arcs and changes that you can follow are just so much more like a novel, and so many amazing shows recently have done as much as film can do to show the interior world. Eleanor Catton amazing feel you world As an artist, you need to be not at all entitled in your relation with the work. So money is kind of worrying. You can start to expect things if you're used to a certain level of comfort. Eleanor Catton start you money work Money doesn't transform a person - the only thing that can is love. Eleanor Catton person only money love
