In apartments and cottages, on the street and in the train... I listen... More and more, I turn into one large ear, always turning to another person.
Svetlana AlexievichRead
Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of a great empire.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of documenting real events and voices through literature.
Svetlana Alexievich's quote reflects her belief that literature should capture the real voices of people experiencing significant historical events. By including real narratives about wars, disasters, and societal changes, she aims to provide a deeper understanding of the human experiences behind major events that shape our world.
Themes
LiteratureHistoryHuman ExperienceNarrativeTruth
In practice
Example use cases
In a book club discussion about contemporary literature, this quote can be used to highlight the significance of real-life events in storytelling.
More from Svetlana Alexievich
All quotes βThe subjects I wanted to write about - the mystery of the human soul, evil - didn't interest newspapers, and news reporting bored me.
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'Women's' war has its own colors, its own smells, its own lighting, and its own range of feelings. There are no heroes and incredible feats; there are simply people who are busy doing inhumanly human things.
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There is no need to give in to the compromise that totalitarian regimes always count on.
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I've been searching for a genre that would be most adequate to my vision of the world to convey how my ear hears and my eyes see life. I tried this and that, and finally, I chose a genre where human voices speak for themselves. But I don't just record a dry history of events and facts; I'm writing a history of human feelings.
Svetlana AlexievichRead
From the point of view of art, the butcher and the victim are equal as people. You need to see the people.
Svetlana AlexievichRead
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