Penelope Fitzgerald Quotes

Duty is what no-one else will do at the moment.

Morality is seldom a safe guide for human conduct.

The body, then, has a mind of its own. It must follow, then, that the Mind has a body of its own, even if it’s like nothing that we can see around us, or have ever seen.

It's very good for an idea to be commonplace. The important thing is that a new idea should develop out of what is already there so that it soon becomes an old acquaintance. Old acquaintances aren't by any means always welcome, but at least one can't be mistaken as to who or what they are.

I believe that people should write biographies only about people they love, or understand, or both. Novels, on the other hand, are often better if they're about people the writer doesn't like very much.

I have remained true to my deepest convictions. I mean the courage of those who are born to be defeated, the weaknesses of the strong, and the tragedy of misunderstandings and missed opportunities, which I have done my best to treat as comedy—for otherwise how can we manage to bear it?

A good book is the precious life-blood of a master-spirit, embalmed and treasured up on purpose to a life beyond life, and as such it must surely be a necessary commodity.

More than that, I believe that the grass is green because green is restful to the human eye, that the sky is blue to give us an idea of the infinite. And that blood is red so that murder will be more easily detected and criminals will be brought to justice. Yes, and I believe that I shall live forever, but I shall live without reason.

Experiences aren't given to us to be 'got over,' otherwise they would hardly be experiences.

If they don't depend on true evidence, scientists are no better than gossips.

A word of advice. If, as a young man, student, you are tormented by a desire for women, it is best to get out into the fresh air as much as possible.

To every separate person a thing is what he thinks it is – in other words, not a thing, but a think.

On the whole, I think you should write biographies of those you admire and respect, and novels about human beings who you think are sadly mistaken.

It is interesting to note that everyone has a different take on the world, a different opinion, and given the same inputs have completely different outputs.

Helping other people is a drug so dangerous that there is no cure short of total abstention.

Behind their dark glass, the mad own nothing.

An unjust punishment is never forgotten.