To me, there is nothing higher than fiction. Nothing. It is fundamentally who I am. I am a teller of stories. For me, that's the only way I can make sense of the world, with all the dance that it involves.
Arundhati RoyRead
Fiction is the most joyous, beautiful, sophisticated, wonderful thing in the world.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Fiction offers a unique joy and beauty that enriches life.
Arundhati Roy's quote celebrates the profound impact of fiction on human experience, suggesting that through its intricate narratives and imaginative landscapes, fiction brings unparalleled joy and sophistication to our lives. It highlights the beauty of storytelling and its ability to transcend reality, allowing us to explore complex emotions and ideas in a way that enriches our understanding of the world.
Themes
FictionJoyBeautyArtStorytelling
In practice
Example use cases
Using this quote during a book club discussion to emphasize the power of fiction.
More from Arundhati Roy
All quotes βWhen she listened to songs that she loved on the radio, something stirred inside her. A liquid ache spread under her skin, and she walked out of the world like a witch.
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Caste is about dividing people up in ways that preclude every form of solidarity, because even in the lowest castes, there are divisions and sub-castes, and everyone's co-opted into the business of this hierarchical, silo-ised society.
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When I decided to write 'The God of Small Things', I had been working in cinema. It was almost a decision to downshift from there. I thought that 300 people would read it. But it created a platform of trust.
Arundhati RoyRead
In California, there are huge problems because of dams. I'm against big dams, per se, because I think that they are economically unfeasible. They're ecologically unsustainable. And they're hugely undemocratic.
Arundhati RoyRead
To call someone 'anti-American', indeed, to be anti-American, is not just racist, it's a failure of the imagination.
Arundhati RoyRead
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