I turned on the pillow with a little moan, and at this juncture Jeeves entered with the vital oolong. I clutched at it like a drowning man at a straw hat.
P. G. WodehouseRead
I believe there are two ways of writing novels. One is mine, making a sort of musical comedy without music and ignoring real life altogether; the other is going right deep down into life and not caring a damn.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote contrasts two approaches to writing novels: one that is light and entertaining, and another that strives for a deeper, more serious exploration of life.
P. G. Wodehouse presents two distinct styles of novel writing: one that is whimsical and amusing, embodying a carefree and entertaining spirit, and the other that delves into the complexities and realities of life, regardless of its seriousness. This distinction highlights the diversity of literary expression and the varying intentions behind storytelling, suggesting that both approaches hold value in the world of literature.
Themes
WritingNovelsArtLiteratureHumorLife
In practice
Example use cases
During a writers' conference, to highlight different styles of storytelling.
More from P. G. Wodehouse
All quotes →While not exactly disgruntled, he was far from feeling gruntled. He spoke with a certain what-is-it in his voice, and I could see that, if not actually disgruntled, he was far from being gruntled.
P. G. WodehouseRead
She fitted into my biggest arm-chair as if it had been built round her by someone who knew they were wearing arm-chairs tight about the hips that season
P. G. WodehouseRead
It was a nasty look. It made me feel as if I were something the dog had brought in and intended to bury later on, when he had time.
P. G. WodehouseRead
Memories are like mulligatawny soup in a cheap restaurant. It is wiser not to stir them.
P. G. WodehouseRead
It was a confusion of ideas between him and one of the lions he was hunting in Kenya that had caused A. B. Spottsworth to make the obituary column. He thought the lion was dead, and the lion thought it wasn't.
P. G. WodehouseRead
Similar quotes
I spent lunchtime in a grave during the filming of 'Bloody Mama.' When you're younger, you feel that's what you need to do to help you stay in character. When you get older, you become more confident and less intense about it - and you can achieve the same effect.
Robert De NiroRead
I sang a lot as a little girl and entered competitions. I loved singing in choirs, but it was as I got older that I really found my voice.
Annie LennoxRead
When talented people write badly, it's generally for one of two reasons: Either they're blinded by an idea they feel compelled to prove of they're driven by an emotion they must express. When talented people write well, it is generally for this reason: They're moved by a desire to touch the audience.
Robert MckeeRead
The only way to deal with yourself as an actor is to follow the emotional truth of what you have to do under the imaginary circumstances. And as you develop you become confident. You come to believe in what you're doing and trust it because it's out of you.
Sanford MeisnerRead
The perfection of art is to conceal art.
QuintilianRead
We are all of us, unique - each a unique pattern of creativity and if we do not fulfill it, it is lost for all time.
Martha GrahamRead