Students today are a pretty solemn lot. One of the really notable achievements of the twentieth century has been to make the young old before their time. Robertson Davies
A truly great book should be read in youth, again in maturity and once more in old age, as a fine building should be seen by morning light, at noon and by moonlight. Robertson Davies
Authors like cats because they are such quiet, lovable, wise creatures, and cats like authors for the same reasons. Robertson Davies
Extraordinary people survive under the most terrible circumstances and they become more extraordinary because of it. Robertson Davies
The most original thing a writer can do is write like himself. It is also his most difficult task. Robertson Davies
I never heard of anyone who was really literate or who ever really loved books who wanted to suppress any of them. Robertson Davies
I see Canada as a country torn between a very northern, rather extraordinary, mystical spirit which it fears and its desire to present itself to the world as a Scotch banker. Robertson Davies
If we seek the pleasures of love, passion should be occasional, and common sense continual. Robertson Davies
Younger people have greatest fears. Why is that? Because they don't know the plot. They don't know their own individual plot... they don't know what's going to happen to them. Margaret Atwood
You can examine the whole 19th century from the point of view of who would have maxed out their credit cards. Emma Bovary would have maxed hers out. No question. Mr. Scrooge would not have. He would have snipped his up. Margaret Atwood
When you're writing a novel, you don't want the reader to come out of it voting yes or no to some question. Life is more complicated than that. Reality simply consists of Margaret Atwood
Vampires get the joy of flying around and living forever, werewolves get the joy of animal spirits. But zombies, they're not rich, or aristocratic, they shuffle around. They're a group phenomenon, they're not very fast, they're quite sickly. So what's the pleasure of being one? Margaret Atwood
You will always have partial points of view, and you'll always have the story behind the story that hasn't come out yet. And any form of journalism you're involved with is going to be up against a biased viewpoint and partial knowledge.Margaret Atwood