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
Stories about mental aberration and oddity only make sense in context. Just how do people live with someone who is peculiar, gifted, strange or alien? It's odd because there's a little part of me that wants to write about exotic, strange bizarre subjects. Instead, I've rather reluctantly realised that what I write about is families.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the complexity of familial relationships and the author's struggle with their own fascination for the strange.
Mark Haddon shares his journey of understanding that while he is drawn to writing about peculiarities and the strange aspects of humanity, he ultimately finds that the fundamental theme of his work revolves around families. This highlights the idea that even the most bizarre or gifted individuals exist within the context of relationships, and that those connections shape our understanding of what is considered normal or odd.
Themes
FamiliesPeculiarRelationshipsWritingStrange
In practice
Example use cases
During a family gathering, this quote can be shared to spark a discussion about the diversity within the family.
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
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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