Margaret Atwood was the author who took me out of children's literature and guided me towards adult literature. Eleanor Catton adultatwoodauthor Change image and share on social
I believe really strongly in imitation, actually: I think it's the first place you need to go to if you're going to be able to understand how something works. True mimicry is actually quite difficult. Eleanor Catton difficultimitationmimicry Change image and share on social
I have written ever since I knew mechanically how to do it. Eleanor Catton knowmechanicallywrite Change image and share on social
I had never read Victorian novels before going overseas. I read a handful of authors, but I had not immersed myself in the literature of the 19th century. Eleanor Catton 19thauthorcentury Change image and share on social
Writing is exhilarating, but reading reviews is not. I've been really devastated by 'good' reviews because they misunderstand the project of the book. It can be strangely galvanising to get a 'bad' one. Eleanor Catton badbookdevastate share on social
One of the things I really like about Victorian novels is the close anatomisation of character. People's gestures and mannerisms and the quality of their thought is very closely identified and analysed. Eleanor Catton analyseanatomisationcharacter share on social
We throw at female artists this expectation that their work has to speak to the female experience. And if it doesn't, you're letting the side down. Throwing this stumbling block in the way of female artists is counterintuitive. Eleanor Catton artistblockcounterintuitive share on social
I often feel intellectually frustrated when I'm in a position where I'm not moving forward; when I'm not enquiring about something. Eleanor Catton enquirefeelforward Change image and share on social
My mum was a children's librarian, so I spent a lot of time in the library. My reading life, because of my mum's work, was evenly split between American, Canadian, Australian and British authors. Eleanor Catton americanaustralianauthor Change image and share on social
It seems pretentious to assume that we are not creatures of action. I think often it takes a situation of extreme absurdity, extreme action, to push us to the limits of what our character is, and to change us as people. Eleanor Catton absurdityactionassume share on social