There's no better reading experience than going to the place where a text was written.
Kenzaburo OeRead
I am one of the writers who wish to create serious works of literature which dissociate themselves from those novels which are mere reflections of the vast consumer cultures of Tokyo and the subcultures of the world at large.
Interpretation
The quote expresses a desire to produce profound literature that moves away from superficial consumerism.
Kenzaburo Oe's quote emphasizes the importance of creating serious and meaningful literature that stands apart from the trivial narratives often influenced by consumer culture. He critiques the tendency of some modern novels to merely reflect the consumer-driven aspects of society, particularly in Tokyo and globally, and advocates for a deeper, more thoughtful exploration of the human experience in literature.
In practice
This quote can be used in a discussion about contemporary literature and its influences.
There's no better reading experience than going to the place where a text was written.
All good books have one thing in common - they are truer than if they had really happened.
For a lot of readers these days, a book is something you have to agree or disagree with. But you can't agree with a novel. For my generation, it was assumed that a book is a dramatic thing, that the eye of the book is not telling you what to think.
A good novel tells us the truth about its hero; but a bad novel tells us the truth about its author.
To whom do I give my new elegant little book? Cui dono lepidum novum libellum?
'Who's been repeating all that hard stuff to you?' 'I read it in a book,' said Alice. 'But I had some poetry repeated to me, much easier than that, by - Tweedledee, I think it was.' 'As to poetry, you know,' said Humpty Dumpty, stretching out one of his great hands, 'I can repeat poetry as well as other folk, if it comes to that - ' 'Oh, it needn't come to that!' Alice hastily said, hoping to keep him from beginning.
Literature is the most agreeable way of ignoring life.
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