A frank and highly original confession from one of the most famous French contemporary writers.
“I would not say that this phrase guides me through life, but it perfectly describes the situation in which I find myself. I published my first novel and have since fallen into a stupor because I feel like I am totally unable to explain what I am writing. I understand why J. Salinger stopped publishing in 1965. The publication of a book and the collateral damage of publication — interviews, TV appearances, and other misunderstandings — plunge the author into a state of vulnerability and frustration. I like André Gide’s way out of this mess. He waits for others to explain what he has just done. This phrase turns absurd torment into the pleasure of waiting. Publishing a book does not mean paraphrasing and procrastinating it like a smug parrot. The joy of the author — and his curse — is that he will never be able to read his own book.
* André Gide (1869–1951), French writer, Nobel Prize winner (1947). The quote is the first sentence of his book The Swamps (1895).