Cyril Connolly
Cyril Connolly
Cyril Vernon Connollywas a literary critic and writer. He was the editor of the influential literary magazine Horizonand wrote Enemies of Promise, which combined literary criticism with an autobiographical exploration of why he failed to become the successful author of fiction that he had aspired to be in his youth...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionJournalist
Date of Birth10 September 1903
two people mind
Two weeks before his death, a friend asked him half jokingly if he had discovered any meaning in life. "Yes," he replied, "there is a meaning; at least, for me, there is one thing that matters - to set a chime of words tinkling in the minds of a few fastidious people."
pain bad-relationship two
There is no pain equal to that which two lovers can inflict on one another.
disappointment loss boredom
Obesity is a mental state, a disease brought on by boredom and disappointment.
dungeon self serving
We are all serving a life-sentence in the dungeon of self
call gods whom
Those whom the Gods would destroy, they first call promising.
argue arms lifetime main river splitting truth
Truth is a river that is always splitting up into arms that reunite. Islanded between the arms the inhabitants argue for a lifetime as to which is the main river.
alive becomes literature living words
While thought exists, words are alive and literature becomes an escape, not from, but into living
fury lover searching woman
There is no fury like a woman searching for a new lover
animal thinking misery
When we have ceased to love the stench of the human animal, either in others or in ourselves, then are we condemned to misery, and clear thinking can begin.
mediocre
A best-seller is the golden touch of mediocre talent.
becomes books clearer function produce task true writer
The more books we read, the clearer it becomes that the true function of a writer is to produce a masterpiece and that no other task is of any consequence.
dread fear greater
The dread of lonliness is greater than the fear of bondage, so we get married.
vulgarity-is salad garlic
Vulgarity is the garlic in the salad of life.
creates filing great lesser readers soon watch writer
A great writer creates a world of his own and his readers are proud to live in it. A lesser writer may entice them in for a moment, but soon he will watch them filing out.