The deepest quality of a work of art will always be the quality of the mind of the producer...No good novel will ever proceed from a superficial mind.
Henry JamesRead
Don’t underestimate the value of irony—it is extremely valuable.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Irony has great significance and impact, often overlooked.
Henry James emphasizes the importance of irony, suggesting that its value is often underestimated despite its ability to reveal deeper truths and insights about life, human behavior, and society. By acknowledging the layers of meaning in ironic situations, we can gain a greater understanding of our experiences and the world around us.
Themes
IronyValueUnderestimateWisdomTruth
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on literature, a professor might cite this quote to illustrate the importance of recognizing irony in storytelling.
More from Henry James
All quotes →What is character but the determination of incident? What is incident but the illustration of character?
Henry JamesRead
Never say you know the last word about any human heart.
Henry JamesRead
I adore adverbs; they are the only qualifications I really much respect.
Henry JamesRead
We care what happens to people only in proportion as we know what people are.
Henry JamesRead
A swift carriage, of a dark night, rattling with four horses over roads that one can’t see--that’s my idea of happiness.
Henry JamesRead
Similar quotes
I wish for you a life of wealth, health and happiness; a life in which you give to yourself the gift of patience, the virtue of reason, the value of knowledge, and the influence of faith in your own ability to dream about and achieve worthy rewards.
Jim RohnRead
One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty; one who rules his spirit, than he who takes a city.
SolomonRead
A more secret, sweet, and overpowering beauty appears to man when his heart and mind open to the sentiment of virtue.
Ralph Waldo EmersonRead
There are few things more powerful than a life lived with passionate clarity.
Erwin McmanusRead
My father, my mother, and then my father was always on top of me - 'Keep your nose clean. Do you love what you're doing?' 'Yes.' 'Then be aware, or you're going to lose it.'
Paul AnkaRead
Never spend your money before you have earned it.
Thomas JeffersonRead