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
disliked given life moments total
I have always disliked myself at any given moment; the total of such moments is my life
condemned himself lazy starts talents whatever
A lazy person, whatever the talents with which he starts out, have condemned himself to second-rate thoughts, and to second-rate friends
butchers fear irrational life policemen publishers repressed supposed
As repressed sadists are supposed to become policemen or butchers so those with irrational fear of life become publishers
dignity friend last point respects wanting
The friendships which last are those wherein each friend respects the other's dignity to the point of not really wanting anything from him
learnt life maze turn walk wrong
Life is a maze in which we take the wrong turn before we have learnt to walk
blow industry nose state
He could not blow his nose without moralizing on the state of the handkerchief industry
achieved aim alone appetite attaching beans broad chicken child closer cow deep eagerly eat further good kingdom man meal occur opium perfect roast stimulate themselves vague vegetable vine
Never would it occur to a child that a sheep, a pig, a cow or a chicken was good to eat, while, like Milton's Adam, he would eagerly make a meal off fruits, nuts, thyme, mint, peas and broad beans which penetrate further and stimulate not only the appetite but other vague and deep nostalgias. We are closer to the Vegetable Kingdom than we know; is it not for man alone that mint, thyme, sage, and rosemary exhale ''crush me and eat me!'' -- for us that opium poppy, coffee-berry, tea-plant and vine perfect themselves? Their aim is to be absorbed by us, even if it can only be achieved by attaching themselves to roast mutton.
art enemy good hall somber
There is no more somber enemy of good art than the pram in the hall
master passions
The person who is master of their passions is reason's slave.
faithful grow loyal older situations types
When young we are faithful to individuals, when older we grow more loyal to situations and to types
inspirational respect writing
Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self.
health character men
The true index of a man's character is the health of his wife.
book writing paint
How many books did Renoir write on how to paint?
dream children hate
There is no hate without fear. Hate is crystallized fear, fear's dividend, fear objectivized. We hate what we fear and so where hate is, fear is lurking. Thus we hate what threatens our person, our liberty, our privacy, our income, popularity, vanity and our dreams and plans for ourselves. If we can isolate this element in what we hate we may learn to cease from hating. Hate is the consequence of fear; we fear something before we hate it; a child who fears noises becomes a man who hates noises.