But how awful would that be? How terrible to live surrounded by the stark, sharp, hollowness of things that simply were enough?
Patrick RothfussRead
All stories are true,” Skarpi said. “But this one really happened, if that’s what you mean.” He took another slow drink, then smiled again, his bright eyes dancing. “More or less. You have to be a bit of a liar to tell a story the right way. Too much truth confuses the facts. Too much honesty makes you sound insincere.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Truth and storytelling are intertwined, and a good story often requires embellishment.
This quote emphasizes that while stories contain elements of truth, the act of storytelling often necessitates a blend of reality and imagination. It suggests that too much strict honesty can detract from the effectiveness of a narrative, as storytellers must engage their audience through creative expression, which may involve bending the truth to convey deeper meanings or emotions.
Themes
TruthStorytellingFictionNarrativeHonestyLies
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the nature of storytelling in literature.
More from Patrick Rothfuss
All quotes →I wanted to tell her that she was the first beautiful thing I had seen in three years. That the sight of her yawning to the back of her hand was enough to drive the breath from me. How I sometimes lost the sense of her words in the sweet fluting of her voice. I wanted to say that if she were with me then somehow nothing could ever be wrong for me again.
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Using words to talk of words is like using a pencil to draw a picture of itself, on itself. Impossible. Confusing. Frustrating ... but there are other ways to understanding.
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Words are pale shadows of forgotten names. As names have power, words have power. Words can light fires in the minds of men. Words can wring tears from the hardest hearts. There are seven words that will make a person love you. There are ten words that will break a strong man's will. But a word is nothing but a painting of a fire. A name is the fire itself.
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How odd to watch a mortal kindle / Then to dwindle day by day / Knowing their bright souls are tinder / And the wind will have its way
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All the truth in the world is held in stories.
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