Cyril Connolly
Cyril Connolly
Cyril Vernon Connollywas a literary critic and writer. He was the editor of the influential literary magazine Horizonand wrote Enemies of Promise, which combined literary criticism with an autobiographical exploration of why he failed to become the successful author of fiction that he had aspired to be in his youth...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionJournalist
Date of Birth10 September 1903
life fear publishing-books
As repressed sadists are supposed to become policemen or butchers so those with an irrational fear of life become publishers.
learnt life maze turn walk wrong
Life is a maze in which we take the wrong turn before we have learnt to walk
disliked given life moments total
I have always disliked myself at any given moment; the total of such moments is my life
butchers fear irrational life policemen publishers repressed supposed
As repressed sadists are supposed to become policemen or butchers so those with irrational fear of life become publishers
argue arms lifetime main river splitting truth
Truth is a river that is always splitting up into arms that reunite. Islanded between the arms the inhabitants argue for a lifetime as to which is the main river.
life mazes walks
Life is a maze in which we take the wrong turning before we have learned to walk.
life success secret
The secret of success is to be in harmony with existence, to be always calm to let each wave of life wash us a little farther up the shore.
art develops equals imagination liquid nostalgia reality snapshot solution
Imagination equals nostalgia for the past, the absent; it is the liquid solution in which art develops the snapshot of reality
fat imprisoned man thin wildly
Imprisoned in every fat man a thin one is wildly signaling to be let out
weed lying flower
A stone lies in a river; a piece of wood is jammed against it; dead leaves, drifting logs, and branches caked with mud collect; weeds settle there, and soon birds have made a nest and are feeding their young among the blossoming water plants. Then the river rises and the earth is washed away. The birds depart, the flowers wither, the branches are dislodged and drift downward; no trace is left of the floating island but a stone submerged by the water; - such is our personality.
alive becomes literature living words
While thought exists, words are alive and literature becomes an escape, not from, but into living
faithful grow loyal older situations types
When young we are faithful to individuals, when older we grow more loyal to situations and to types
call gods whom
Those whom the Gods would destroy, they first call promising.
absolute art entire grand requires
Art is an absolute mistress; she will not be coquetted with or slighted; she requires the most entire self-devotion, and she repays with grand triumphs.