Literature exists inside the language. It's made of words. It's not made of ideas and it's not made of concepts, of psychological analysis. It's made of words. In the same way in which music is made of notes and a painting is made of lines of colors, the matter of literature are words.
Literature belongs first and foremost to the language in which it is being written. The very same book, even if it is translated very accurately, let's say from Hebrew into English or from English into Hebrew, becomes a different book because language is a musical instrument.
Literature is about telling stories.
I'm not sure I'm happy with words such as "task" or "role" when they are attached to literature.
The battlefield is first and foremost horrible stenches, not sights, not sounds, but stenches. They don't travel well into literature.
Literature may open a third eye in the middle of the reader's forehead.
Literature exists inside the language. It's made of words.
Literature belongs first and foremost to the language in which it is being written.
In the same way in which music is made of notes and a painting is made of lines of colors, the matter of literature are words.
Literature is not made of ideas and it's not made of concepts, of psychological analysis. It's made of words.
I'm not sure I'm happy with words such as "task" or "role" when they are attached to literature. I prefer to talk about the gift of literature rather than its role or task. You know, gynecology has a role; sex is a gift. And literature is not about sending messages.
I prefer to talk about the gift of literature rather than its role or task.
I know that a translation of a work of literature is like playing a violin concerto on the piano. You can do this. You can do this very successfully on one strict condition: never try to force the piano to produce the sounds of the violin. This will be grotesque.
