Writing for children is bloody difficult; books for children are as complex as their adult counterparts, and they should therefore be accorded the same respect.
Mark HaddonRead
From a good book, I want to be taken to the very edge. I want a glimpse into that outer darkness.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote expresses a desire for deep and profound experiences through literature.
Mark Haddon emphasizes the transformative power of literature, conveying a yearning for books that challenge our perceptions and take us to the extremes of human experience. The 'outer darkness' symbolizes the unknown territories of thought and emotion that good literature can help us explore, pushing the boundaries of our understanding and inviting us to confront difficult truths.
Themes
BooksLiteratureExplorationExperienceDarkness
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of reading in education.
More from Mark Haddon
All quotes →As to the number of novels I've abandoned... I shudder to think. I have thrown away five completed novels, and that's a gruesome enough figure. But not necessarily a waste of effort.
Mark HaddonRead
At twenty life was like wrestling an octopus. Every moment mattered. At thirty it was a walk in the country. Most of the time your mind was somewhere else. By the time you got to seventy, it was probably like watching snooker on the telly.
Mark HaddonRead
And Father said, "Christopher, do you understand that I love you?" And I said "Yes," because loving someone is helping them when they get into trouble, and looking after them, and telling them the truth, and Father looks after me when I get into trouble, like coming to the police station, and he looks after me by cooking meals for me, and he always tells me the truth, which means that he loves me.
Mark HaddonRead
And I know I can do this because I went to London on my own, and because I solved the mystery…and I was brave and I wrote a book and that means I can do anything.
Mark HaddonRead
At 20, 25, 30, we begin to realise that the possibilities of escape are getting fewer. We have jobs, children, partners, debts. This is the part of us to which literary fiction speaks.
Mark HaddonRead
Similar quotes
What is a good definition? For the philosopher or the scientist, it is a definition which applies to all the objects to be defined, and applies only to them; it is that which satisfies the rules of logic. But in education it is not that; it is one that can be understood by the pupils.
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We found that process praise predicted the child's mindset and desire for challenge five years later.
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The best way to get started on the path of sharing your work is to think about what you want to learn, and make a commitment to learning it in front of others.
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We read to find ourselves, more fully and more strangely than otherwise we could hope to find.
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He that studies books alone, will know how things ought to be; and he that studies men, will know how things are.
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