We took away your art because we thought it would reveal your souls. Or to put it more finely, we did it to prove you had souls at all.
Kazuo IshiguroRead
Why would somebody just read a novel when they can see it on TV or in the cinema? I really have to think of the things fiction can do that film can't and play to the strengths of the novel. With a novel, you can get right inside somebody's head.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the unique strengths of novels over visual media like film or television.
Kazuo Ishiguro emphasizes the distinct qualities of literature, particularly the novel, which allows readers to delve deeply into characters' internal thoughts and emotions in a way that visual storytelling cannot fully replicate. He suggests that the power of fiction lies in its ability to offer intimate insights into the psyche of characters, showcasing the novel's unique narrative capabilities.
Themes
NovelFictionLiteratureCharacterStorytelling
In practice
Example use cases
During a literary discussion about the impact of novels versus films, this quote can illustrate the depth of character exploration in books.
More from Kazuo Ishiguro
All quotes →You need to remember that. If you’re to have decent lives, you have to know who you are and what lies ahead of you, every one of you.
Kazuo IshiguroRead
I keep thinking about this river somewhere, with the water moving really fast. And these two people in the water, trying to hold onto each other, holding on as hard as they can, but in the end it's just too much. The current's too strong. They've got to let go, drift apart. That's how it is with us. It's a shame, Kath, because we've loved each other all our lives. But in the end, we can't stay together forever.
Kazuo IshiguroRead
What I'm not sure about, is if our lives have been so different from the lives of the people we save. We all complete. Maybe none of us really understand what we've lived through, or feel we've had enough time.
Kazuo IshiguroRead
If you were a boy and a girl and you were in love with each other, really, properly in love, and if you could show it, then the people who run Hailsham, they sorted it out for you. They sorted it out so you could have a few years together before you began your donations.
Kazuo IshiguroRead
We all live inside bodies that will deteriorate. But when you look at human beings, they're capable of very decent things: love, loyalty. When time is running out, they don't care about possessions or status. They want to put things right if they've done wrong.
Kazuo IshiguroRead
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There's a half-conscious state you enter when you're actually generating prose, and you are simply a better writer in that place. In fact it's the only place where you even are a writer.
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Just because I'm playing jazz I don't forget about me. I play or write me, the way I feel, through jazz, or whatever.
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