I used to work very long hours. Then I started to realize that the stuff that I was writing in the late afternoons, I was generally throwing out. So I quit earlier than I used to.
Robert CaroRead
I sometimes feel that if your book sells more than 20 years, then there's something in it that you can say, gee, I did something that endures, that's timeless
Interpretation
What this quote means
A book that remains popular for over 20 years has a lasting significance and value.
Robert Caro suggests that a book's ability to sell for more than two decades indicates that it contains something meaningful and impactful. Such longevity reflects the work's timelessness and the wisdom it imparts, affirming the author's achievement in creating something of enduring relevance.
Themes
BooksTimelessEnduranceImpactWisdom
In practice
Example use cases
During a literature class, one might quote this to emphasize the importance of creating lasting works.
More from Robert Caro
All quotes βLong Island is shaped the way it is largely because of Robert Moses. Long Island is a perfect example of how political power shapes people's lives every day.
Robert CaroRead
What would be the good of rushing? You want these books to last.
Robert CaroRead
If you really want to show power in its larger aspects, you need to show the effects on the powerless, for good or ill - the human cost of public works. That's what I try to do, show not only how power works but its effect on people.
Robert CaroRead
It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So for me, I would always have an excuse, you know, to go - quit early, go to a museum, you know. So I do everything I can to make myself remember this is a job. I keep a schedule.
Robert CaroRead
I am trying to make clear through my writing something which I believe: that biography- history in general- can be literature in the deepest and highest sense of that term.
Robert CaroRead
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