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A novel, or indeed any work of art, is not intended to be a literal transcription from Nature. ... Life is a series of false values. There it is always the little things that are greatest. Art attempts to remedy this. It may be defined as an expurgated edition of Nature.

— James Branch Cabell

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More quotes by James Branch Cabell

You must permit that I begin it in my own way, with what may to you at first seem dream-stuff.

The Cream of the Jest (1917)

The desire to write perfectly of beautiful happenings is, as the saying runs, old as the hills — and as immortal.

The Certain Hour (1916)

Life is very marvelous ... and to the wonders of the earth there is no end appointed.

The Silver Stallion (1926)

Good and evil keep very exact accounts... and the face of every man is their ledger.

Jurgen (1919)

While it is well enough to leave footprints on the sands of time, it is even more important to make sure they point in a commendable direction.

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Attribution

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