Coincidence obeys no laws and if it does we don't know what they are. Coincidence, if you'll permit me the simile, is like the manifestation of God at every moment on our planet. A senseless God making senseless gestures at his senseless creatures. In that hurricane, in that osseous implosion, we find communion.
I'd obviously never heard of the group, but my ignorance in literary matters is to blame for that (every book in the world is out there waiting to be read by me).
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses the idea that there is an endless array of knowledge and literature to explore, emphasizing the importance of continual learning.
In this quote, Roberto Bolano reflects on his unawareness of a particular literary group, admitting that it stems from his own ignorance. He suggests that the world of literature is vast and filled with countless books waiting to be discovered, highlighting the notion that learning and reading should be lifelong pursuits. This sentiment serves as a reminder of the endless opportunities for growth and enrichment available through literature.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
Use this quote to inspire students in a literature class to explore new authors and genres.
More from Roberto Bolano
All quotes →The sky, at sunset, looked like a carnivorous flower.
Every book in the world is out there waiting to be read by me.
Bright colours in the west, giant butterflies dancing as night crept like a cripple toward the east.
Being alone makes us stronger. That’s the honest truth. But it’s cold comfort, since even if I wanted company no one will come near me anymore.
Of all the islands he'd visited, two stood out. The island of the past, he said, where the only time was past time and the inhabitants were bored and more or less happy, but where the weight of illusion was so great that the island sank a little deeper into the river every day. And the island of the future, where the only time was the future, and the inhabitants were planners and strivers, such strivers, said Ulises, that they were likely to end up devouring one another.
Similar quotes
If you want to make information stick, it's best to learn it, go away from it for a while, come back to it later, leave it behind again, and once again return to it - to engage with it deeply across time. Our memories naturally degrade, but each time you return to a memory, you reactivate its neural network and help to lock it in.
Mom was an academic, so the riches that she had to bestow were of the mind.
We have to move back to the idea that education isn't about teaching people to bow to rigid rules. That's not what democracy is about.
How it is we have so much information, but know so little?
The problem is not scientifically illiterate kids; it is scientifically illiterate adults. Kids are born curious about the natural world. They are always turning over rocks, jumping with two feet into mud puddles and playing with the tablecloth and fine china.
Kids will remind you that, even though you've gone down a road 100 times, it's brand new for them - and that's healthy.