You would go mad if you began to speculate about the impact your novel might have while you were still writing it. Jonathan Coe beginimpactmad Change image and share on social
But I have always - ever since The Accidental Woman - written novels about individuals attempting to make choices in the context of situations over which they have no control. Jonathan Coe accidentalattemptchoice Change image and share on social
The biggest markets for my books outside the UK are France and Italy, and those are the two countries where I also have the closest personal relationships with my translators - I don't know whether that's a coincidence, or if there's something to be learned from it. Jonathan Coe bigbookclose share on social
But at the same time, I have trouble keeping things out of books, which is why I don't write short stories because they turn into novels. Jonathan Coe bookkeepnovel Change image and share on social
Writers never feel comfortable having labels attached to them, however accurate they are. Jonathan Coe accurateattachcomfortable Change image and share on social
As the books grew bigger and more ambitious, the situations in question sometimes became political ones, and so it became necessary to start painting in the social background on a scale which eventually became panoramic. Jonathan Coe ambitiousbackgroundbig share on social
But we are entitled to look for continuity in politics. Jonathan Coe continuityentitlepolitic Change image and share on social
Luckily, in my case, I have managed, by writing, to do the one thing that I always wanted to do. Jonathan Coe caseluckilymanage Change image and share on social
The writer I feel the most affinity with - you said you felt my books are 19th century novels, I think they're 18th century novels - is Fielding, Henry Fielding, he's the guy who does it for me. Jonathan Coe 18th19thaffinity Change image and share on social
It seems to me that you would have to write a novel on a very small, intimate scale for it not to become political. Jonathan Coe intimatepoliticalscale Change image and share on social