Literature Quotes

Books change lives. Authors and readers reflect on the power of the written word.

12844 quotes

J
"Literature is society's confessional."
José María de Eça de Queirós
J
"The writer's task is to describe reality as accurately as possible."
John Banville
J
"Literature is a mirror to society."
John Banville
J
"Words have the power to heal or harm."
John Banville
J
"Literature preserves human experience."
John Banville
E
"Literature is the conversation between the dead and the living."
Eça de Queirós
S
"Literature serves to transform experience into understanding."
Saramago
S
"Words are the only monuments we leave behind that do not crumble."
Saramago
S
"Language is both a bridge and a barrier between human souls."
Saramago
S
"The power of a story lies not in its events but in its silences."
Saramago
L
"The pen is mightier than the sword, for it inscribes eternity."
Luís de Camões
L
"Every word written carries the power to change minds and hearts."
Luís de Camões
L
"Literature is the immortality granted to human thoughts and feelings."
Luís de Camões
J
"The soul of a nation lives in its literature, not in its politics."
José María de Eça de Queirós
F
"The pen is mightier because words outlast deeds."
Fernando Pessoa
F
"In literature, truth is more important than facts."
Fernando Pessoa
A
"A literatura é um espelho da alma humana em suas mais diversas formas."
Almeida Garrett
A
"A literatura é o espelho e a lâmpada da condição humana."
Almeida Garrett
P
"The old Irish storytellers understood that tales bind people together."
Padraig Colum
P
"Literature holds up a mirror to the human condition."
Padraig Colum
P
"Literature is the preserved voice of humanity."
Padraig Colum
J
"Fiction is the only truth that matters."
John Banville
J
"The writer's task is to illuminate the ordinary."
John Banville
J
"Every word is a betrayal of what we mean to say."
John Banville
J
"Narrative is how we make sense of chaos."
John Banville
J
"We live in stories more than in facts."
John Banville
L
"The pen wields a power greater than any sword forged in fire."
Luís de Camões
E
"The power of words lies not in their truth but in their ability to move hearts."
Eça de Queirós
E
"Literature preserves what society wishes to forget and exposes what it wishes to hide."
Eça de Queirós
E
"Words are weapons that we learn to use against ourselves."
Eça de Queirós