Normal, in our house, is like a blanket too short for a bed--sometimes it covers you just fine, and other times it leaves you cold and shaking; and worst of all, you never know which of the two it's going to be.
Jodi PicoultRead
That's why we read fiction, isn't it? To remind us that whatever we suffer, we're not the only ones?
Interpretation
What this quote means
We read fiction to connect with others' experiences and recognize that suffering is a shared human condition.
This quote by Jodi Picoult emphasizes the comforting power of fiction, highlighting that literature allows readers to see their own struggles reflected in the lives of characters. Through the narratives we engage with, we find a sense of solace in knowing that we are not alone in our suffering, as others experience similar feelings and challenges, fostering empathy and understanding among individuals.
Themes
ReadingFictionSufferingEmpathyConnection
In practice
Example use cases
During a book club discussion, this quote can illustrate the importance of shared experiences in literature.
More from Jodi Picoult
All quotes →Whether it was power they sought, or revenge, or love-well, those were all just different forms of hunger. The bigger the hole inside you, the more desperate you became to fill it.
Jodi PicoultRead
she told me she'd be a phoenix." The image of the mythical creature rising from the ashes glitters in my mind. "They don't really exist." "She said that depends on whether or not there's someone who can see them.
Jodi PicoultRead
for 100,000 (dollars), you [can] flatten a house with a wrecking ball. Imagine how much less it [takes] to destroy something than it [does] to build it in the first place.
Jodi PicoultRead
But if you seek forgiveness, doesn't that automatically mean you cannot be a monster? By definition, doesn't that desperation make you human again?
Jodi PicoultRead
when you [lose someone], it feels like the hole in your gum when a tooth falls out. You can chew, you can eat, you have plenty of other teeth, but your tongue keeps going back to that empty place, where all nerves are still a little raw
Jodi PicoultRead
Similar quotes
Death of the Father would deprive literature of many of its pleasures. If there is no longer a Father, why tell stories? Doesn't every narrative lead back to Oedipus? Isn't storytelling always a way of searching for one's origin, speaking one's conflicts with the Law, entering into the dialectic of tenderness and hatred?
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That the question of likability even exists in literary conversations is odd. It implies that we are engaging in a courtship. When characters are unlikable, they don’t meet our mutable, varying standards. Certainly we can find kinship in fiction, but literary merit shouldn’t be dictated by whether we want to be friends or lovers with those about whom we read.
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What makes a book great, a so-called classic, it its quality of always being modern, of its author, though he be long dead, continuing to speak to each new generation.
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We read in bed because reading is halfway between life and dreaming, our own consciousness in someone else's mind.
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The problem with most genre fantasy is that it's not nearly fantastic enough. It's escapist, but it can't escape.
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