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
Obviously I have a capacity for feeling extreme anxiety, and there are people out there who don't. I'm to some extent rather jealous of them.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the nature of anxiety and the envy felt towards those who are less affected by it.
Mark Haddon expresses a personal acknowledgment of his own capacity for anxiety, coupled with a sense of envy towards individuals who seem unaffected by such feelings. This introspection highlights the subjective nature of emotional experiences and evokes empathy for those who struggle with anxiety, while also recognizing the challenges it presents in contrast to a seemingly easier emotional existence.
Themes
AnxietyEnvyEmotionsSelf-AwarenessIntrospection
In practice
Example use cases
In a talk about mental health, one could cite this quote to illustrate the variation in emotional experiences.
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.
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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
From a good book, I want to be taken to the very edge. I want a glimpse into that outer darkness.
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
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