"The writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for others."
This quote by Imre Kertesz suggests that a true writer possesses an inherent struggle with their craft, finding the act of writing more challenging compared to individuals without a similar creative calling. This difficulty stems from the deep emotional investment, self-scrutiny, and artistic responsibility a writer has towards their work, aiming to express authenticity and evoke meaningful responses from readers. Essentially, Kertesz is stating that being a writer requires an exceptional level of dedication, resilience, and unyielding passion for the art form, making it more laborious than for those who don't share the same vocation.
"The past and the future, both unreal, make up the present moment."
This quote by Imre Kertesz emphasizes that our understanding of time is not linear but rather a blend of two seemingly contradictory dimensions - the past and the future. While the past and future are abstract concepts that do not exist in the tangible sense, they collectively shape our present moment, influencing our thoughts, feelings, and actions. Our memories of the past can guide us, while our aspirations for the future propel us forward. Thus, the present is an intersection of these two non-physical dimensions.
"The Holocaust was not a parenthesis in history; it was an essential chapter of human experience."
The quote emphasizes that the Holocaust was not a temporary, isolated event in historical timeline but rather an integral, significant part of human civilization's collective experiences and understanding. It underscores the profound impact the Holocaust had on shaping humanity and highlights its importance as a critical aspect to be studied and remembered in order to comprehend our past, present, and potential future.
"I never felt so much a writer as when I wasn't writing."
This quote by Imre Kertész suggests that the identity or consciousness of being a writer is not solely derived from the act of writing, but rather it is an inherent part of the writer's psyche. It implies that even in moments when one is not actively producing words, the writer still carries the creative impulse and the awareness of their role within literature. The act of writing may be a necessity or a means to express oneself, but the essence of being a writer persists beyond the physical act itself.
"There is no greater loneliness than to be with the living and not with the dead."
This quote by Imre Kertesz highlights a deeply rooted human need for connection, both with the living and the deceased. It suggests that losing touch with the departed can result in an acute sense of solitude or loneliness. Despite being surrounded by people, one may feel isolated if their emotional bond with those who have passed away remains unfulfilled. This quote underscores the importance we place on relationships and memories, even after loved ones are gone.
The Holocaust survivor who knows Auschwitz through the experience of suffering observes it all from the perspective assigned to him. He keeps silent or gives interviews to the Spielberg Foundation, he accepts the compensation payments promised him after a fifty-year delay, or, if he is prominent, he makes a speech in the Swedish Academy.
- Imre Kertesz
No one in my family wrote. And there was no real introduction. I suppose I somehow blundered into it when I was about six or seven years old. I was asked what present I would like, and, without knowing why, I responded that I would like a journal. It was a beautiful journal - so beautiful that I didn't want to sully it.
- Imre Kertesz
I am no historian, but Hungary is a country which has never known democracy - and by that, I mean not a democratic political system, but an organic process which has mobilised the entire country's society. In the case of Hungary, this development was blocked by the growth of the Ottoman empire in the 16th century.
- Imre Kertesz
If the world is an objective reality that exists independently of us, then humans themselves, even in their own eyes, are nothing more than objects, and their life stories merely a series of disconnected historical accidents, which they may wonder at, but which they themselves have nothing to do with.
- Imre Kertesz
The world of fiction is a sovereign world that comes to life in the author's head and follows the rules of art, of literature. And that is the major difference that is reflected in the form of the work, in its language and its plot. An author invents every aspect of a fiction, every detail.
- Imre Kertesz
I was interned in Auschwitz for one year. I didn't bring back anything, except for a few jokes, and that filled me with shame. Then again, I didn't know what to do with this fresh experience. For this experience was no literary awakening, no occasion for professional or artistic introspection.
- Imre Kertesz
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