Nowadays, I know the true reason I read is to feel less alone, to make a connection with a consciousness other than my own. Zadie Smith connectionconsciousnessfeel Change image and share on social
It might be useful to distinguish between pleasure and joy. But maybe everybody does this very easily, all the time, and only I am confused. Zadie Smith confusedistinguisheasily Change image and share on social
All novels attempt to cut neural routes through the brain, to convince us that down this road the true future of the novel lies. Zadie Smith attemptbrainconvince Change image and share on social
Unless you consider yourself some sort of human brand, which I don't, you have to deal with the fact that different people are going to like different aspects of your work. It's not consistent. I am not consistent. But I feel OK with that. Zadie Smith aspectbrandconsistent share on social
I don't keep any copies of my books in the house - they go to my mum's flat. I don't like them around. Zadie Smith bookcopyflat Change image and share on social
My short stories have always pushed twenty pages. That's no length for a short story to be. You either do them short like Carver or you stop trying. Zadie Smith carverlengthpage Change image and share on social
I think of reading like a balanced diet; if your sentences are too baggy, too baroque, cut back on fatty Foster Wallace, say, and pick up Kafka as roughage. Zadie Smith backbaggybalance Change image and share on social
Don't we all know why nerds do what they do? To get money, which leads to popularity, which leads to girls. Zadie Smith girlleadmoney Change image and share on social
Books are not brands. Some people are very willing to see themselves as a brand, but you can't be a certain type of writer to a certain type of person all the time. It will kill you. Zadie Smith bookbrandkill Change image and share on social
My feeling is, having lived in different classes, that people want equality of opportunity... that's the thing that makes me despair: the idea that people aren't given equality of opportunity. Zadie Smith classdespairequality Change image and share on social
