Amos Oz Quotes About Literature
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Literature belongs first and foremost to the language in which it is being written. The very same book, even if it is translated very accurately, let's say from Hebrew into English or from English into Hebrew, becomes a different book because language is a musical instrument.
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Literature exists inside the language. It's made of words.
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The battlefield is first and foremost horrible stenches, not sights, not sounds, but stenches. They don't travel well into literature.
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Literature is about telling stories. Now, the gift of literature is that, in some lucky cases, reading a novel or a story makes the reader more curious, more open-minded. It may open a third eye in the middle of the reader's forehead.
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I prefer to talk about the gift of literature rather than its role or task.
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Literature may open a third eye in the middle of the reader's forehead.
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In the same way in which music is made of notes and a painting is made of lines of colors, the matter of literature are words.
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The gift of literature is that, in some lucky cases, reading a novel or a story makes the reader more curious, more open-minded.
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You know, gynecology has a role; sex is a gift. And literature is not about sending messages.
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Of course my books are translated into many languages. I have here, in my home, translations on my shelf of my books into forty-five different languages. Almost none of them I can read. I can read only the English editions. But, I know that a translation of a work of literature is like playing a violin concerto on the piano. You can do this. You can do this very successfully on one strict condition: never try to force the piano to produce the sounds of the violin. This will be grotesque. So, different musical instruments provide for different music.
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Literature exists inside the language. It's made of words. It's not made of ideas and it's not made of concepts, of psychological analysis. It's made of words. In the same way in which music is made of notes and a painting is made of lines of colors, the matter of literature are words.
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Literature may make the reader reexamine some of his or her own conventions, look at himself or herself in a different way, look at others in a different way. This goes way beyond just making statements or manifesting principles.
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Literature is not made of ideas and it's not made of concepts, of psychological analysis. It's made of words.
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I'm not sure I'm happy with words such as "task" or "role" when they are attached to literature.
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I'm not sure I'm happy with words such as "task" or "role" when they are attached to literature. I prefer to talk about the gift of literature rather than its role or task. You know, gynecology has a role; sex is a gift. And literature is not about sending messages.
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I know that a translation of a work of literature is like playing a violin concerto on the piano. You can do this. You can do this very successfully on one strict condition: never try to force the piano to produce the sounds of the violin. This will be grotesque.
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Literature belongs first and foremost to the language in which it is being written.
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Literature is about telling stories.
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