Quotes by Critic | Beyond Motive

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Quotes by Critic

"I always arrive late at the office, but I make up for it by leaving early."

"I always arrive late at the office, but I make up for it by leaving early."

Charles Lamb, English Critic

119

"I can hire one-half of the working class to kill the other half."

"I can hire one-half of the working class to kill the other half."

Jack Gould, American Critic

116

"Language can only deal meaningfully with a special, restricted segment of reality. The rest, and it is presumably the much larger part, is silence."

"Language can only deal meaningfully with a special, restricted segment of reality. The rest, and it is presumably the much larger part, is silence."

George Steiner, American Critic

Language, Reality, Rest, Silence

88

"The most technologically efficient machine that man has ever invented is the book."

"The most technologically efficient machine that man has ever invented is the book."

Northrop Frye, Canadian Critic

Greatness, Machine, Man

86

"When a language creates as it does a community within the present, it does so only by courtesy of a community between the present and the past."

"When a language creates as it does a community within the present, it does so only by courtesy of a community between the present and the past."

Christopher Ricks, British Critic

Community, Courtesy, Language, Past

85

"Death is a displaced name for a linguistic predicament."

"Death is a displaced name for a linguistic predicament."

Paul de Man, Belgian Critic

84

"Good temper is one of the greatest preservers of the features."

"Good temper is one of the greatest preservers of the features."

William Hazlitt, English Critic

Appearance, Temper

83

"I came into the world two months too soon, I was in such a hurry."

"I came into the world two months too soon, I was in such a hurry."

Georg Brandes, Danish Critic

Birth, Months, World

81

"When I was a little boy I did not, of course, trouble much about my appearance."

"When I was a little boy I did not, of course, trouble much about my appearance."

Georg Brandes, Danish Critic

Appearance, Trouble

81

"Every great film should seem new every time you see it."

"Every great film should seem new every time you see it."

Roger Ebert, American Critic

80

"Newspapers always excite curiosity. No one ever puts one down without the feeling of disappointment."

"Newspapers always excite curiosity. No one ever puts one down without the feeling of disappointment."

Charles Lamb, English Critic

Curiosity, Disappointment, Feeling, Newspapers

79

"Is this film more interesting than a documentary of the same actors having lunch?"

"Is this film more interesting than a documentary of the same actors having lunch?"

Gene Siskel, American Critic

Actor, Actors, Film

78

"That a literature in our time is living is shown in that way that it debates problems."

"That a literature in our time is living is shown in that way that it debates problems."

Georg Brandes, Danish Critic

Time, Literature, Living, Problems

71

"It is well there is no one without fault for he would not have a friend in the world. He would seem to belong to a different species."

"It is well there is no one without fault for he would not have a friend in the world. He would seem to belong to a different species."

William Hazlitt, English Critic

Relationship, Friendship, Flaws, Acceptance, Humanity

69

"It was jolly in the country. A cow and little pigs to play with and milk warm from the cow."

"It was jolly in the country. A cow and little pigs to play with and milk warm from the cow."

Georg Brandes, Danish Critic

Nation, Country, Play

68

"My motto is: Contented with little, yet wishing for more."

"My motto is: Contented with little, yet wishing for more."

Charles Lamb, English Critic

Contentment, Wishing

68

"To eat steak rare... represents both a nature and a morality."

"To eat steak rare... represents both a nature and a morality."

Roland Barthes, French Critic

Nature, Morality

68

"As long as women are using class or race power to dominate other women, feminist sisterhood cannot be fully realized."

"As long as women are using class or race power to dominate other women, feminist sisterhood cannot be fully realized."

bell hooks, American Critic

Feminism, Power, Equality, Women

67

"Literature exists at the same time in the modes of error and truth; it both betrays and obeys its own mode of being."

"Literature exists at the same time in the modes of error and truth; it both betrays and obeys its own mode of being."

Paul de Man, Belgian Critic

Time, Truth, Being, Error

65

"True resistance begins with people confronting pain... and wanting to do something to change it."

"True resistance begins with people confronting pain... and wanting to do something to change it."

bell hooks, American Critic

Change, Resistance, Pain, Courage

63

"The greater the artist, the greater the doubt. Perfect confidence is granted to the less talented as a consolation prize."

"The greater the artist, the greater the doubt. Perfect confidence is granted to the less talented as a consolation prize."

Robert Hughes, Australian Critic

Doubt, Artist, Confidence

57

"Maybe by his second year in Hogwarts, Harry Potter will learn the trick to making a movie this good, but don't bet on it. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is one of the best films of the year."

"Maybe by his second year in Hogwarts, Harry Potter will learn the trick to making a movie this good, but don't bet on it. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is one of the best films of the year."

Joel Siegel, American Critic

56

"Dominator culture has tried to keep us all afraid, to make us choose safety instead of risk, sameness instead of diversity. Moving through that fear, finding out what connects us, revelling in our differences; this is the process that brings us closer, that gives us a world of shared values, of meaningful community."

"Dominator culture has tried to keep us all afraid, to make us choose safety instead of risk, sameness instead of diversity. Moving through that fear, finding out what connects us, revelling in our differences; this is the process that brings us closer, that gives us a world of shared values, of meaningful community."

bell hooks, American Critic

Society, Fear, Safety, Diversity, Change

56

"I believe that nothing comes of nothing, even in Shakespeare. I wanted to know where he got the matter he was working with and what he did with that matter."

"I believe that nothing comes of nothing, even in Shakespeare. I wanted to know where he got the matter he was working with and what he did with that matter."

Stephen Greenblatt, American Critic

Nothing, Shakespeare

54

"A generous heart is always open, always ready to receive our going and coming. In the midst of such love we need never fear abandonment. This is the most precious gift true love offers - the experience of knowing we always belong."

"A generous heart is always open, always ready to receive our going and coming. In the midst of such love we need never fear abandonment. This is the most precious gift true love offers - the experience of knowing we always belong."

bell hooks, American Critic

Love, Belonging, Connection, Acceptance

53

"I can imagine myself on my death-bed, spent utterly with lust to touch the next world, like a boy asking for his first kiss from a woman."

"I can imagine myself on my death-bed, spent utterly with lust to touch the next world, like a boy asking for his first kiss from a woman."

Aleister Crowley, English Critic

Death, Kiss, First, Lust

53

"Intolerance is evidence of impotence."

"Intolerance is evidence of impotence."

Aleister Crowley, English Critic

Empowerment, Intolerance

52

"Myth is neither a lie nor a confession: it is an inflexion."

"Myth is neither a lie nor a confession: it is an inflexion."

Roland Barthes, French Critic

52

"Love is a combination of care, commitment, knowledge, responsibility, respect and trust."

"Love is a combination of care, commitment, knowledge, responsibility, respect and trust."

bell hooks, American Critic

Love, Trust, Commitment, Care

52

"Not content to have the audience in the palm of his hand, he goes one further and clinches his fist."

"Not content to have the audience in the palm of his hand, he goes one further and clinches his fist."

Kenneth Tynan, English Critic

51

"They make glorious shipwreck who are lost in seeking worlds."

"They make glorious shipwreck who are lost in seeking worlds."

Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, German Critic

Exploration, Shipwreck

50

"If we knew each other's secrets, what comforts we should find."

"If we knew each other's secrets, what comforts we should find."

John Churton Collins, English Critic

48

"In prosperity, our friends know us; in adversity, we know our friends."

"In prosperity, our friends know us; in adversity, we know our friends."

John Churton Collins, English Critic

Friendship, Adversity, Friends, Prosperity

48

"Movies are so rarely great art that if we cannot appreciate great trash we have very little reason to be interested in them."

"Movies are so rarely great art that if we cannot appreciate great trash we have very little reason to be interested in them."

Pauline Kael, American Critic

Art, Movies, Reason

47

"A sitcom isn't usually the right tool for satire."

"A sitcom isn't usually the right tool for satire."

Chris Morris, British Critic

47

"Women will only be truly sexually liberated when we arrive at a place where we can see ourselves as having sexual value and agency irrespective of whether of not we are the objects of male desire."

"Women will only be truly sexually liberated when we arrive at a place where we can see ourselves as having sexual value and agency irrespective of whether of not we are the objects of male desire."

bell hooks, American Critic

Feminism, Liberation, Gender, Equality, Sexuality

46

"Life-transforming ideas have always come to me through books."

"Life-transforming ideas have always come to me through books."

bell hooks, American Critic

Life, Ideas, Books

45

"I've been asked about this constantly, and I compare it to how if you're walking down the street and some schizo guy comes up to you and vomits on you: You wouldn't be hurt by that, you'd just think it's weird."

"I've been asked about this constantly, and I compare it to how if you're walking down the street and some schizo guy comes up to you and vomits on you: You wouldn't be hurt by that, you'd just think it's weird."

Chuck Klosterman, American Critic

45

"Of the female black authors, I really like Morrison's early books a lot. But she's really become so much a clone of Faulkner. He did it better."

"Of the female black authors, I really like Morrison's early books a lot. But she's really become so much a clone of Faulkner. He did it better."

Leslie Fiedler, American Critic

44

"We judge on the basis of what somebody looks like, skin color, whether we think they're beautiful or not. That space on the Internet allows you to converse with somebody with none of those things involved."

"We judge on the basis of what somebody looks like, skin color, whether we think they're beautiful or not. That space on the Internet allows you to converse with somebody with none of those things involved."

bell hooks, American Critic

Internet, Skin, Space

43

"When you're writing for newspapers you have all these parameters. You can't swear, you have to use short paragraphs, all that. If you stay within those parameters, you have lots of freedom because you're writing for the next day."

"When you're writing for newspapers you have all these parameters. You can't swear, you have to use short paragraphs, all that. If you stay within those parameters, you have lots of freedom because you're writing for the next day."

Chuck Klosterman, American Critic

Writing, Day, Freedom, Newspapers

43

"Modernity exists in the form of a desire to wipe out whatever came earlier, in the hope of reaching at least a point that could be called a true present, a point of origin that marks a new departure."

"Modernity exists in the form of a desire to wipe out whatever came earlier, in the hope of reaching at least a point that could be called a true present, a point of origin that marks a new departure."

Paul de Man, Belgian Critic

Hope, Departure, Desire, Modernity

42

"The pious pretense that evil does not exist only makes it vague, enormous and menacing."

"The pious pretense that evil does not exist only makes it vague, enormous and menacing."

Aleister Crowley, English Critic

42

"We are not hypocrites in our sleep."

"We are not hypocrites in our sleep."

William Hazlitt, English Critic

41

"Michael Taylor is not being executed for homicide. Michael Taylor is being executed for raping a white female."

"Michael Taylor is not being executed for homicide. Michael Taylor is being executed for raping a white female."

John Simon, American Critic

41

"Great thoughts reduced to practice become great acts."

"Great thoughts reduced to practice become great acts."

William Hazlitt, English Critic

Thought, Thoughts, Practice

41

"To burn always with this hard, gem-like flame, to maintain this ecstasy, is success in life."

"To burn always with this hard, gem-like flame, to maintain this ecstasy, is success in life."

Walter Pater, English Critic

Life, Success, Ecstasy

39

"I do my best not to have any expectations when I go into a movie because it's not fair."

"I do my best not to have any expectations when I go into a movie because it's not fair."

Joel Siegel, American Critic

Expectation, Expectations

39

"The new job of art is to sit on the wall and get more expensive."

"The new job of art is to sit on the wall and get more expensive."

Robert Hughes, Australian Critic

39

"His style has the desperate jauntiness of an orchestra fiddling away for dear life on a sinking ship."

"His style has the desperate jauntiness of an orchestra fiddling away for dear life on a sinking ship."

Edmund Wilson, American Critic

39

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