The misfortune to be born when I was, where I was. That was a piece of bad luck. Ruth Prawer Jhabvala badbearluck Change image and share on social
Once a refugee, always a refugee. I can't ever remember not being all right wherever I was, but you don't give your whole allegiance to a place or want to be entirely identified with the society you're living in. Ruth Prawer Jhabvala allegiancegiveidentify share on social
Film is not like a book; it's not a writer's baby at all. So many people have put in their talent, by that time that you feel grateful for what they've done, you don't feel possessive about it in any way. Ruth Prawer Jhabvala babybookfeel share on social
Perhaps I'm just fickle by nature and get tired of countries the way other women do of husbands or lovers. Ruth Prawer Jhabvala countryficklehusband Change image and share on social
All my early books are written as if I were Indian. In England, I had started writing as if I were English; now I write as if I were American. You take other people's backgrounds and characters; Keats called it negative capability. Ruth Prawer Jhabvala americanbackgroundbook share on social
One doesn't choose to become a writer. One is just born that way. Ruth Prawer Jhabvala bearchoosewriter Change image and share on social
I never really had any close friends in India, and I felt a terrible loneliness and isolation for many years. Westernized Indians don't like my books and I tend not to like westernized Indians - so we're quits. Ruth Prawer Jhabvala bookclosefelt share on social
I stand before you as a writer without any ground of being out of which to write: really blown about from country to country, culture to culture till I feel - till I am - nothing. As it happens, I like it that way. Ruth Prawer Jhabvala blowcountryculture share on social
First, I was so dazzled and besotted by India. People said the poverty was biblical, and I'm afraid that was my attitude, too. It's terribly easy to get used to someone else's poverty if you're living a middle-class life in it. But after a while, I saw it wasn't possible to accept it, and I also didn't want to. Ruth Prawer Jhabvala acceptafraidattitude share on social
I'm not interested in who am I. I'm interested in what's gone, the disinheritance, what I've been able to become or learn or fuse with or not fuse with. A certain freedom comes... I like it that way. Ruth Prawer Jhabvala disinheritancefreedomfuse Change image and share on social