Quotes by Critic | Beyond Motive 6/32

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Quotes by Critic

"The standardization of world culture, with local popular or traditional forms driven out or dumbed down to make way for American television, American music, food, clothes and films, has been seen by many as the very heart of globalization."

"The standardization of world culture, with local popular or traditional forms driven out or dumbed down to make way for American television, American music, food, clothes and films, has been seen by many as the very heart of globalization."

Fredric Jameson, American Critic

Food, Music, Heart

46

"Indubitably, magic is one of the subtlest and most difficult of the sciences and arts. There is more opportunity for errors of comprehension, judgment and practice than in any other branch of physics."

"Indubitably, magic is one of the subtlest and most difficult of the sciences and arts. There is more opportunity for errors of comprehension, judgment and practice than in any other branch of physics."

Aleister Crowley, English Critic

Opportunity, Errors, Judgment, Magic

46

"If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it."

"If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it."

Margaret Fuller, American Critic

Knowledge, Light

46

"The especial genius of women I believe to be electrical in movement, intuitive in function, spiritual in tendency."

"The especial genius of women I believe to be electrical in movement, intuitive in function, spiritual in tendency."

Margaret Fuller, American Critic

Woman, Women, Genius, Spiritual

46

"A pun is not bound by the laws which limit nicer wit. It is a pistol let off at the ear; not a feather to tickle the intellect."

"A pun is not bound by the laws which limit nicer wit. It is a pistol let off at the ear; not a feather to tickle the intellect."

Charles Lamb, English Critic

Intellectual, Intellect, Laws, Wit

46

"The public have neither shame or gratitude."

"The public have neither shame or gratitude."

William Hazlitt, English Critic

Gratitude, Public, Shame

46

"To many men... the miasma of peace seems more suffocating than the bracing air of war."

"To many men... the miasma of peace seems more suffocating than the bracing air of war."

George Steiner, American Critic

Peace, War, Men

46

"There is no prejudice so strong as that which arises from a fancied exemption from all prejudice."

"There is no prejudice so strong as that which arises from a fancied exemption from all prejudice."

William Hazlitt, English Critic

46

"There will be no mass-based feminist movement as long as feminist ideas are understood only by a well-educated few."

"There will be no mass-based feminist movement as long as feminist ideas are understood only by a well-educated few."

bell hooks, American Critic

Activism, Feminism, Movement, Education, Equality

46

"Taste is more to do with manners than appearances. Taste is both myth and reality; it is not a style."

"Taste is more to do with manners than appearances. Taste is both myth and reality; it is not a style."

Stephen Bayley, British Critic

Manners, Myth, Reality, Style

46

"Metaphors are much more tenacious than facts."

"Metaphors are much more tenacious than facts."

Paul de Man, Belgian Critic

Fact, Facts, Metaphors

46

"If a liberal News channel were launched it would fall flat on its face."

"If a liberal News channel were launched it would fall flat on its face."

Paul Weyrich, American Critic

46

"Furthermore, America suffers not only from a lack of standards, but also not infrequently from a confusion or an inversion of standards."

"Furthermore, America suffers not only from a lack of standards, but also not infrequently from a confusion or an inversion of standards."

Irving Babbitt, American Critic

Society, America, Confusion

45

"There must be some one quality without which a work of art cannot exist; possessing which, in the least degree, no work is altogether worthless."

"There must be some one quality without which a work of art cannot exist; possessing which, in the least degree, no work is altogether worthless."

Clive Bell, English Critic

Art, Work, Quality

45

"Hack fiction exploits curiosity without really satisfying it or making connections between it and anything else in the world."

"Hack fiction exploits curiosity without really satisfying it or making connections between it and anything else in the world."

Vincent Canby, American Critic

Curiosity, Fiction, World

45

"How prophetic L'Enfant was when he laid out Washington as a city that goes around in circles!"

"How prophetic L'Enfant was when he laid out Washington as a city that goes around in circles!"

John Mason Brown, American Critic

Urban Planning, Washington

45

"Never claim as a right what you can ask as a favor."

"Never claim as a right what you can ask as a favor."

John Churton Collins, English Critic

45

"For art comes to you proposing frankly to give nothing but the highest quality to your moments as they pass, and simply for those moments' sake."

"For art comes to you proposing frankly to give nothing but the highest quality to your moments as they pass, and simply for those moments' sake."

Walter Pater, English Critic

Art, Quality, Moments, Nothing

45

"The human imagination has already come to conceive the possibility of recreating human society."

"The human imagination has already come to conceive the possibility of recreating human society."

Edmund Wilson, American Critic

Imagination, Society, Possibility

45

"I slept with faith and found a corpse in my arms on awakening; I drank and danced all night with doubt and found her a virgin in the morning."

"I slept with faith and found a corpse in my arms on awakening; I drank and danced all night with doubt and found her a virgin in the morning."

Aleister Crowley, English Critic

Faith, Doubt, Night

45

"I am suffocated and lost when I have not the bright feeling of progression."

"I am suffocated and lost when I have not the bright feeling of progression."

Margaret Fuller, American Critic

Emotional, Feeling

45

"The genius of the French language, descended from its single Latin stock, has triumphed most in the contrary direction - in simplicity, in unity, in clarity, and in restraint."

"The genius of the French language, descended from its single Latin stock, has triumphed most in the contrary direction - in simplicity, in unity, in clarity, and in restraint."

Lytton Strachey, English Critic

Genius, Clarity, Direction, Language

45

"Literature is without proofs. By which it must be understood that it cannot prove, not only what it says, but even that it is worth the trouble of saying it."

"Literature is without proofs. By which it must be understood that it cannot prove, not only what it says, but even that it is worth the trouble of saying it."

Roland Barthes, French Critic

Literature, Saying, Trouble, Worth

45

"We must not, however, be like the leaders of the great romantic revolt who, in their eagerness to get rid of the husk of convention, disregarded also the humane aspiration."

"We must not, however, be like the leaders of the great romantic revolt who, in their eagerness to get rid of the husk of convention, disregarded also the humane aspiration."

Irving Babbitt, American Critic

Leadership, Leaders, Romantic

45

"Washington is an endless series of mock palaces clearly built for clerks."

"Washington is an endless series of mock palaces clearly built for clerks."

Ada Louise Huxtable, American Critic

Geography, Washington

45

"There is only one way left to escape the alienation of present day society: to retreat ahead of it."

"There is only one way left to escape the alienation of present day society: to retreat ahead of it."

Roland Barthes, French Critic

Society, Alienation, Day, Present

45

"The human brain can soften as a result of incessant listening to music with an intent to commit prose."

"The human brain can soften as a result of incessant listening to music with an intent to commit prose."

Donal Henahan, American Critic

Music, Listening, Prose, Result

45

"The pursuit of beauty is much more dangerous nonsense than the pursuit of truth or goodness, because it affords a stronger temptation to the ego."

"The pursuit of beauty is much more dangerous nonsense than the pursuit of truth or goodness, because it affords a stronger temptation to the ego."

Northrop Frye, Canadian Critic

Beauty, Truth, Ego, Goodness

45

"Audiences deserve better."

"Audiences deserve better."

Leonard Maltin, American Critic

Originality, Audiences

45

"The theories of the major philosophers of the 18th century secular enlightenment were biblical and theological in spite of themselves."

"The theories of the major philosophers of the 18th century secular enlightenment were biblical and theological in spite of themselves."

M. H. Abrams, American Critic

Philosophy, Theories

45

"New Year's Day is every man's birthday."

"New Year's Day is every man's birthday."

Charles Lamb, English Critic

Time, Birthday, Man, Newyear

45

"Because I don't give the studios advanced quotes or an advanced look at my reviews. I think the readers deserve to read my reviews before the studios do."

"Because I don't give the studios advanced quotes or an advanced look at my reviews. I think the readers deserve to read my reviews before the studios do."

Roger Ebert, American Critic

Reviews, Quotes

45

"To say that most of us today are purely expansive is only another way of saying that most of us continue to be more concerned with the quantity than with the quality of our democracy."

"To say that most of us today are purely expansive is only another way of saying that most of us continue to be more concerned with the quantity than with the quality of our democracy."

Irving Babbitt, American Critic

Quality, Democracy, Quantity, Saying

45

"A Christmas Carol is such a fool-proof story you can't louse it up."

"A Christmas Carol is such a fool-proof story you can't louse it up."

Leonard Maltin, American Critic

Christian, Christmas, Fool

45

"Our energy is in proportion to the resistance it meets. We attempt nothing great but from a sense of the difficulties we have to encounter we persevere in nothing great but from a pride in overcoming them."

"Our energy is in proportion to the resistance it meets. We attempt nothing great but from a sense of the difficulties we have to encounter we persevere in nothing great but from a pride in overcoming them."

William Hazlitt, English Critic

Success, Energy, Resistance, Perseverance, Effort

45

"Class is often invisible in America in the movies, and usually not the subject of the film."

"Class is often invisible in America in the movies, and usually not the subject of the film."

Roger Ebert, American Critic

Movies, America, Class, Film

45

"To be remembered after we are dead, is but poor recompense for being treated with contempt while we are living."

"To be remembered after we are dead, is but poor recompense for being treated with contempt while we are living."

William Hazlitt, English Critic

Being, Contempt, Living, Poor

45

"When I was a graduate student, the leading spirits at Harvard were interested in the history of ideas."

"When I was a graduate student, the leading spirits at Harvard were interested in the history of ideas."

M. H. Abrams, American Critic

History, Ideas, Leading, Spirits

45

"Drudgery is as necessary to call out the treasures of the mind, as harrowing and planting those of the earth."

"Drudgery is as necessary to call out the treasures of the mind, as harrowing and planting those of the earth."

Margaret Fuller, American Critic

45

"Only reason can convince us of those three fundamental truths without a recognition of which there can be no effective liberty: that what we believe is not necessarily true; that what we like is not necessarily good; and that all questions are open."

"Only reason can convince us of those three fundamental truths without a recognition of which there can be no effective liberty: that what we believe is not necessarily true; that what we like is not necessarily good; and that all questions are open."

Clive Bell, English Critic

Politics, Open, Questions, Reason

44

"Gifts must affect the receiver to the point of shock."

"Gifts must affect the receiver to the point of shock."

Walter Benjamin, German Critic

44

"When something startlingly new comes up, young people, especially, seize it. You can't complain about that. I think its heyday has passed, but it's had an effect and will continue to have an effect."

"When something startlingly new comes up, young people, especially, seize it. You can't complain about that. I think its heyday has passed, but it's had an effect and will continue to have an effect."

M. H. Abrams, American Critic

People, Effect, Will

44

"Sublimity is the echo of great mind."

"Sublimity is the echo of great mind."

Longinus, Greek Critic

44

"Beware of over-great pleasure in being popular or even beloved."

"Beware of over-great pleasure in being popular or even beloved."

Margaret Fuller, American Critic

Being, Pleasure, Popular

44

"The truth is that our way of celebrating the Christmas season does spring from myriad cultures and sources, from St. Nicholas to Coca-Cola advertising campaigns."

"The truth is that our way of celebrating the Christmas season does spring from myriad cultures and sources, from St. Nicholas to Coca-Cola advertising campaigns."

Richard Roeper, American Critic

Truth, Advertising, Christmas, Spring

44

"To harmonize the One with the Many, this is indeed a difficult adjustment, perhaps the most difficult of all, and so important, withal, that nations have perished from their failure to achieve it."

"To harmonize the One with the Many, this is indeed a difficult adjustment, perhaps the most difficult of all, and so important, withal, that nations have perished from their failure to achieve it."

Irving Babbitt, American Critic

Failure, Nations

44

"The bastard form of mass culture is humiliated repetition... always new books, new programs, new films, news items, but always the same meaning."

"The bastard form of mass culture is humiliated repetition... always new books, new programs, new films, news items, but always the same meaning."

Roland Barthes, French Critic

Books, Culture, Meaning, News

44

"The thing is that, they all had real strong personalities and real distinct identities, and I don't find most of the groups that are coming out now really do."

"The thing is that, they all had real strong personalities and real distinct identities, and I don't find most of the groups that are coming out now really do."

Lester Bangs, American Critic

44

"Opinions are to the vast apparatus of social existence what oil is to machines: one does not go up to a turbine and pour machine oil over it; one applies a little to hidden spindles and joints that one has to know."

"Opinions are to the vast apparatus of social existence what oil is to machines: one does not go up to a turbine and pour machine oil over it; one applies a little to hidden spindles and joints that one has to know."

Walter Benjamin, German Critic

Existence, Machine, Oil, Opinions

44

"John Updike is always fun. And one of my former students, Tom Pynchon. And Harold Bloom, another former student."

"John Updike is always fun. And one of my former students, Tom Pynchon. And Harold Bloom, another former student."

M. H. Abrams, American Critic

44

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