I think vestigially there's a synesthete in me, but not like a real one who immediately knows what colour Wednesday is. A. S. Byatt colourimmediatelyreal Change image and share on social
I am not sure how much good is done by moralising about fairy tales. This can be unsubtle - telling children that virtue will be rewarded, when in fact it is mostly simply the fact of being the central character that ensures a favourable outcome. Fairy tales are not, on the whole, parables. A. S. Byatt centralcharacterchild share on social
Why do we take pleasure in gruesome death, neatly packaged as a puzzle to which we may find a satisfactory solution through clues - or if we are not clever enough, have it revealed by the all-powerful tale-teller at the end of the book? It is something to do with being reduced to, and comforted by, playing by the rules. A. S. Byatt bookcleverclue share on social
I think literary theory has not been terribly good for English studies in a while. It's not that theory isn't interesting, but it isn't about books, or the idiosyncrasies and complexities of putting language together. A. S. Byatt bookcomplexityenglish share on social
In novels in general - and also on the television - we do live in a world where bodies is what we are. We do not talk about the spirit or the soul, and there is a sense that we no longer talk about beliefs, either Freudian or Marxist. A. S. Byatt beliefbodyfreudian share on social
I don't understand why, in my work, writing is always so dangerous. It's very destructive. People who write books are destroyers. A. S. Byatt bookdangerousdestroyer Change image and share on social
I think there are a lot more important things than art in the world. But not to me. A. S. Byatt artimportantlot Change image and share on social
The point of painting is not really deception or imitation. A. S. Byatt deceptionimitationpaint Change image and share on social
It's because I'm a feminist that I can't stand women limiting other women's imaginations. It really makes me angry. A. S. Byatt angryfeministimagination Change image and share on social
I find the attempt to find things out, which scientists are possessed by, to be as human as breathing, or feeding, or sex. And so the science has to be in the novels as science and not just as metaphors. A. S. Byatt attemptbreathefeed share on social