Ivy Compton-Burnett
Ivy Compton-Burnett
Dame Ivy Compton-Burnett, DBEwas an English novelist, publishedas I. Compton-Burnett. She was awarded the 1955 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for her novel Mother and Son...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionNovelist
Date of Birth5 June 1884
book writing people
Most of the pleasure of making a book would go if it held nothing to be shared by other people. I would write for a few dozen people, and sometimes it seems that I do so, but I would not write for no-one.
writing choices kind
[On writing:] What a difficult kind of work to choose! But of course one did not choose it. There was no choice.
writing novelists originals
The most original novelist now writing in English.
real writing thinking
As regards plot I find real life no help at all. Real life seems to have no plots. And as I think a plot desirable and almost necessary, I have this extra grudge against life.
english-novelist great seems time
Time is not a great healer. It is an indifferent and perfunctory one. Sometimes it does not heal at all. And sometimes when it seems to, no healing has been necessary.
jars jam certain
At a certain point my novels set. They set just as hard as that jam jar. And then I know they are finished.
mind our-lives
it is in our minds that we live much of our life.
loss thinking people
People have never lost what they think they have.
people insincerity behinds
We none of us talk to people as we do behind their backs.
gratitude grateful giver
Ah, we have to be generous to be grateful ... One has oneself to be a giver.
long long-words
Never is a long word.
family faces members
We do not discuss the members of our family to their faces ...
family beautiful mean
It will be a beautiful family talk, mean and worried and full of sorrow and spite and excitement.
family world emotion
Dear, dear, the miniature world of the family! All the emotions of mankind seem to find a place in it.