The first thing you have to consider when writing a novel is your story, and then your story - and then your story! Ford Madox Ford More Quotes by Ford Madox Ford More Quotes From Ford Madox Ford Higher than the beasts, lower than the angels, stuck in our idiot Eden. Ford Madox Ford idiot angel eden If for nine years I have possessed a goodly apple that is rotten at the core and discover its rottenness only in nine years and six months less four days, isn't it true to say that for nine years I possessed a goodly apple? Ford Madox Ford six-months apples years For the judging of contemporary literature the only test is one's personal taste. If you much like a new book, you must call it literature even though you find no other soul to agree with you, and if you dislike a book you must declare that it is not literature though a million voices should shout you that you are wrong. The ultimate decision will be made by Time. Ford Madox Ford voice judging book If you're going to have a character appear in a story long enough to sell a newspaper, he'd better be real enough that you can smell his breath. Ford Madox Ford smell real character The object of the novelist is to keep the reader entirely oblivious of the fact that the author exists - even of the fact he is reading a book. Ford Madox Ford novelists reading book It is not merely that people must die and people must suffer, if not here, then there. But what is dreadful is that the world goes on and people go on being stupidly cruel - in the old ways and all the time. Ford Madox Ford suffering goes-on people Only two classes of books are of universal appeal. The very best and the very worst. Ford Madox Ford class two book There is no man who loves a woman that does not desire to come to her for the renewal of his courage, for the cutting asunder of his difficulties. And that will be the mainspring of his desire for her. We are all so afraid, we are all so alone, we all so need from the outside the assurance of our own worthiness to exist. Ford Madox Ford cutting desire men What the artist wishes to do — as far as you are concerned — is to take you out of yourself. As far as he is concerned, he wishes to express himself. Ford Madox Ford concerned artist wish The instances of honesty that one comes across in this world are just as amazing as the instances of dishonesty. After forty-five years of mixing with one's kind, one ought to have acquired the habit of being able to know something about one's fellow beings. But one doesn't Ford Madox Ford mixing honesty years Yes, a war is inevitable. Firstly, there's you fellows who can't be trusted. And then there's the multitude who mean to have bathrooms and white enamel. Millions of them; all over the world. Not merely here. And there aren't enough bathrooms and white enamel in the world to go round. Ford Madox Ford white war mean Open the book to page ninety-nine and read, and the quality of the whole will be revealed to you. Ford Madox Ford ninety-nine quality book We are all so afraid, we are all so alone, we all so need from the outside the assurance of our own worthiness to exist. So, for a time, if such a passion come to fruition, the man will get what he wants. He will get the moral support, the encouragement, the relief from the sense of loneliness, the assurance of his own worth. But these things pass away; inevitably they pass away as the shadows pass across sundials. It is sad, but it is so. The pages of the book will become familiar; the beautiful corner of the road will have been turned too many times. Well, this is the saddest story. Ford Madox Ford encouragement loneliness beautiful Why can't people have what they want? The things were all there to content everybody; yet everybody has the wrong thing. Ford Madox Ford wrong-things want people Pride and reserve are not the only things in life; perhaps they are not even the best things. But if they happen to be your particular virtues you will go all to pieces if you let them go. Ford Madox Ford things-in-life pieces pride The war had made a man of him! It had coarsened him and hardened him. There was no other way to look at it. It had made him reach a point at which he would no longer stand unbearable things. Ford Madox Ford men war looks It was an odd friendship, but the oddnesses of friendships are a frequent guarantee of their lasting texture. Ford Madox Ford texture odd guarantees You have to wait together - for a week, for a year, for a lifetime, before the final intimate conversation may be attained ... and exhausted. So that ... That in effect was love. Ford Madox Ford intimate-conversation waiting years We are all so afraid, we are all so alone, we all so need from the outside the assurance of our own worthiness to exist. Ford Madox Ford sundials fear needs You may well ask why I write. And yet my reasons are quite many. For it is not unusual in human beings who have witnessed the sack of a city or the falling to pieces of a people to set down what they have witnessed for the benefit of unknown heirs or of generations infinitely remote; or, if you please, just to get the sight out of their heads. Ford Madox Ford cities writing fall
