Nathalie Sarraute Quotes

Powerful Nathalie Sarraute for Daily Growth

About Nathalie Sarraute

Nathalie Sarraute (September 6, 1900 – February 3, 1999) was a French novelist, essayist, and short-story writer, celebrated for her innovative contributions to modern literature. Born in Paris, she spent most of her life in the city that would become her muse and subject matter. Sarraute's early life was marked by significant events that would later influence her writing. In 1920, she began studying philosophy at the Sorbonne, where she met André Breton, the founder of Surrealism. Although Sarraute did not join the Surrealist movement, their friendship exposed her to the avant-garde literary world and left an indelible impact on her artistic sensibilities. In 1938, Sarraute published her first collection of short stories, "Portrait d'un clown," which showcased her distinctive narrative style that explored the intricacies of human consciousness and the hidden complexities of everyday life. This work earned her recognition as a promising new voice in French literature. During World War II, Sarraute worked for the French Resistance, an experience that deeply affected her and would later be reflected in her writings. After the war, she continued to write and publish short stories, eventually compiling them into the groundbreaking novel "Trop de monde" (Too Many People) in 1948. This work introduced Sarraute's signature technique of free indirect discourse, which allowed her to delve deeply into the psyches of her characters while maintaining a detached, observer-like voice. In 1963, Sarraute was awarded the Prix Goncourt for "Le Planetarium," further cementing her place as one of France's most important contemporary writers. Her body of work, marked by its exploration of inner worlds and the nuances of human existence, continues to be celebrated and studied worldwide.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"In real life, things don't happen in the order we expect."

Nathalie Sarraute's quote suggests that life often doesn't adhere to our preconceived notions or expectations. The unexpected can occur at any moment, making life unpredictable and exciting. This quote emphasizes the importance of embracing the spontaneity and fluidity inherent in human experience, as things may unfold in a different manner than we anticipate or desire.

"The only reality is the one that we create for ourselves."

This quote by Nathalie Sarraute underscores the subjective nature of reality. She suggests that the world as we perceive it, our experiences, beliefs, and understanding, are essentially self-created constructs. It implies that our personal realities are shaped by our unique perspectives, memories, emotions, and interactions with the world around us. This idea challenges objective truth claims and encourages us to recognize and respect the diverse realities that each individual creates for themselves. Essentially, Sarraute invites us to consider the power we hold in defining our own reality.

"Every moment of our lives is a kind of choice."

Nathalie Sarraute's quote emphasizes the idea that every instant in our lives presents us with choices, small or significant, shaping the course of our lives. It suggests that life is not merely a series of events happening to us but an active process where we make decisions that influence our future. In essence, it underscores personal responsibility and the power each individual has to steer their own destiny through conscious choices made moment by moment.

"The truth can be many-sided and yet it still remains the truth."

This quote by Nathalie Sarraute emphasizes that while the truth may have multiple perspectives or facets, it does not lose its inherent nature as "the truth". In other words, a single event or fact can be perceived differently by various individuals due to personal experiences, biases, or interpretations, but it remains the objective truth regardless of these subjective perceptions. This idea underscores the importance of understanding different viewpoints while maintaining a commitment to uncovering and appreciating the underlying reality.

"In our inner life, we are all unique. In our outer life, we are all interchangeable."

This quote by Nathalie Sarraute emphasizes the duality between a person's inner self and their external presence in society. While each individual possesses distinct thoughts, emotions, desires, and experiences that form their unique identity (inner life), they often conform to societal norms and expectations when interacting with others (outer life). This conformity may lead to a sense of interchangeability as we all share common behaviors, roles, or appearances. However, it is important to remember the richness and significance of each person's inner life, which sets them apart from everyone else.

One can't write without having read - you have to read before beginning to write - and universities offer a very good opportunity to read.

- Nathalie Sarraute

Very, Having, Read, Good Opportunity

The act of writing is a kind of catharsis, a liberation, but I never really concerned myself with that. I write because it interests me.

- Nathalie Sarraute

Kind, Concerned, I Write, Liberation

Women have seen that they have locked themselves up with feminist writing.

- Nathalie Sarraute

Writing, Themselves, Up, Locked

Literature is always trying to show other parts of this immense universe in which we live. It's endless. I'm sure there will be other writers who will discover new worlds.

- Nathalie Sarraute

Discover, Always, Which, Immense

Suspicion is one of the morbid reactions by which an organism defends itself and seeks another equilibrium.

- Nathalie Sarraute

Which, Itself, Organism, Morbid

Television has lifted the manufacture of banality out of the sphere of handicraft and placed it in that of a major industry.

- Nathalie Sarraute

Manufacture, Placed, Major, Sphere

It's the duty of all novelists, all painters, all musicians, all people who try to make art move: to look for something they feel authentically, without paying attention to styles.

- Nathalie Sarraute

Art, Move, Novelists, All People

I don't admire Freud as much as some people do. Imagine Shakespeare being aware of the Oedipal complex when he wrote Hamlet. It would have been a disaster.

- Nathalie Sarraute

Some, Been, Imagine, Disaster

I have often heard that the novel is dead. But I see novels produced, I don't know how many a week, in France. I have the impression it's carrying along quite well.

- Nathalie Sarraute

Week, I See, Often, Produced

It's a question of not copying the masters, to look for something, good or bad, for oneself. To enter this liberated state of mind, one cannot copy the others.

- Nathalie Sarraute

Mind, Question, Bad, Copying

One can't write for all readers. A poet cannot write for people who don't like poetry.

- Nathalie Sarraute

Poet, Like, Cannot, Readers

Those who live in a world of human beings can only retrace their steps.

- Nathalie Sarraute

World, Human Beings, Only, Retrace

The reader has to be creative when he's reading. He has to try to make the thing alive. A good reader has to do a certain amount of work when he is reading.

- Nathalie Sarraute

Alive, Amount, Reader, Creative

The novel moves like all the arts. It's transforming itself all the time.

- Nathalie Sarraute

Moves, Like, Itself, Transforming

I have never sought the reason why I write.

- Nathalie Sarraute

Reason, Never, I Write, Sought

All psychological research is completely barred by the interpretations of the psychoanalysts. Everything happens in the unconscious, and I don't know what this unconscious is.

- Nathalie Sarraute

Unconscious, Psychological, Interpretations

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