London in the '70s was a pretty catastrophic dump, I can tell you. We had every kind of industrial trouble; we had severe energy problems; we were under constant terrorist attack from Irish terrorist groups who had started a bombing campaign in English cities; politics were fantastically polarized between left and right.

Ian Mcewan

Categorized in : Cities Energy Terrorist Groups

...falling in love could be achieved in a single word—a glance. by Ian Mcewan

...falling in love could be achieved in a single word—a glance.

glances falling-in-love fall

Imagining what it is like to be someone other than yourself is at the core of our humanity. It is the essence of compassion, and it is the beginning of morality.

compassion essence humanity

There are these rare moments when musicians together touch something sweeter than they've ever found before in rehearsals or performance, beyond the merely collaborative or technically proficient, when their expression becomes as easy and graceful as friendship or love. This is when they give us a glimpse of what we might be, of our best selves, and of an impossible world in which you give everything to others, but lose nothing of yourself.

expression self giving

Writing a novel resembles a journey with only the sketchiest of m... by Ian Mcewan

Writing a novel resembles a journey with only the sketchiest of maps.

novel journey writing

A person is, among all else, a material thing, easily torn and no... by Ian Mcewan

A person is, among all else, a material thing, easily torn and not easily mended.

novelists vulnerable people

I've never had a moment's doubt. I love you. I believe in you completely. You are my dearest one. My reason for life.

love romantic believe

I wouldn't mind being the lead guitarist in an incredibly successful rock band. However, I don't play the guitar.

rocks successful play

True intelligence requires fabulous imagination. by Ian Mcewan

True intelligence requires fabulous imagination.

true-intelligence fabulous imagination

And she did not miss his presence so much as his voice on the phone. Even being lied to constantly, though hardly like love, was sustained attention; he must care about her to fabricate so elaborately and over such a long stretch of time. His deceit was a form of tribute to the importance of their marriage.

like-love phones voice

Not being boring is quite a challenge. by Ian Mcewan

Not being boring is quite a challenge.

boring challenges

For children, childhood is timeless. It is always the present. Everything is in the present tense. Of course, they have memories. Of course, time shifts a little for them and Christmas comes round in the end. But they don't feel it. Today is what they feel, and when they say 'When I grow up,' there is always an edge of disbelief - how could they ever be other than what they are?

growing-up memories children

I believe the novella is the perfect form of prose fiction. It is the beautiful daughter of a rambling, bloated ill-shaven giant (but a giant who's a genius on his best days).

daughter beautiful believe

Without a revolution of the inner life, however slow, all our big designs are worthless. The work we have to do is with ourselves if we're ever going to be at peace with each other...the good that flows from it will shape our societies in an unprogrammed, unforeseen way, under the control of no single group of people or set of ideas.

design people ideas

Finally, you had to measure yourself by other people - there really was nothing else. every now and then, quite unintentionally, someone taught you something about yourself.

taught now-and-then people

When its gone, you'll know what a gift love was. you'll suffer like this. So go back and fight to keep it.

lost-love fighting suffering

Finally he spoke the three simple words that no amount of bad art or bad faith can every quite cheapen. She repeated them, with exactly the same slight emphasis on the second word, as though she were the one to say them first. He had no religious belief, but it was impossible not to think of an invisible presence or witness in the room, and that these words spoken aloud were like signatures on an unseen contract.

simple religious art

A story lives transformed by a gesture not made or a word not spo... by Ian Mcewan

A story lives transformed by a gesture not made or a word not spoken

gestures stories made

The trouble with being a daydreamer who doesn’t say much is that the teachers at school, especially those who don’t know you very well, are likely to think you’re rather stupid. Or, if not stupid, then dull. No one can see the amazing things that are going on in your head.

stupid teacher school

Let his name be cleared and everyone else adjust their thinking. He had put in time, now they must do the work. His business was simple. Find Cecilia and love her, marry her and live without shame.

simple names thinking

In the first half of the 20th Century, we lived through human disasters on a scale unimaginable. The Holocaust was once suggested would be the end of not only civilization, but art, too.

holocaust civilization art