Naipaulisms

On fiction:

"If you write a novel alone you sit and you weave a little narrative. And it's OK, but it's of no account. If you're a romantic writer, you write novels about men and women falling in love, et cetera, give a little narrative here and there. But again, it's of no account."


On food:

"If you cook a dinner for yourself you weave a little recipe. And it's OK, but it's of no account. If you're a really good cook, you throw a dinner party. And people have a good time, etc., etc. But again, it's of no account."


On love:

"If you have a wonderful relationship -- I mean, a really stupendous relationship ... one that changes your entire life and gives it meaning -- it's OK, but it's of no account. If you have a romantic personality, these experiences are like heaven for you. They're of such raw, ecstatic force that they race up and down your spine, they cause the very marrow of your bones to shudder. They alter your essence, your being, and are virtually beyond description. Et cetera. But again, it's of no account."