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The fundamental principle of literature is to create something out of nothing and to make up stories. My creation has not been altogether fashioned out of nothing, and is not entirely made up.

— Mo Yan The Republic of Wine (1992)

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More quotes by Mo Yan

The relationship between man and liquor embodies virtually all contradictions involved in the process of human existence and development.

The Republic of Wine (1992)

A writer should always bravely face life, risking death and mutilation in order to dethrone an emperor.

The Republic of Wine (1992)

Liquor infatuates me until I am in capable of following rules and regulations. Liquor's character is wild and unrestrained; its temperament is to talk without thinking.

The Republic of Wine (1992)

For a writer, talent is everything. Lots of people make a career out of writing, producing many works and knowing exactly what it takes to become a great writer. But they never break into the big time, because they lack one thing: talent, or a sufficient amount of it.

The Republic of Wine (1992)

Finally, she mused that human existence is as brief as the life of autumn grass, so what was there to fear from taking chances with your life?

Red Sorghum: A Novel of China (1986)

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Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Mo Yan (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.