---
title: "2 Astonishing Quotes By Philip Roth"
description: "2 Astonishing quotes by Philip Roth. Plus more from Philip Roth and more Astonishing sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/135/philip-roth-681_astonishing_what-is-astonishing-is-that-we-who-had-n_30952.jpg"
---

> [“What is astonishing is that we, who had no idea how anything was going to turn out, now know exactly what happened.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/what-is-astonishing-is-that-we-who-had-no-idea-how-anything-was-going/)

[Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/135/philip-roth-681_astonishing_what-is-astonishing-is-that-we-who-had-n_30952.jpg)

> [All that we don't know is astonishing. Even more astonishing is what passes for knowing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/all-that-we-don-t-know-is-astonishing-even-more-astonishing-is-what/)

[Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d9/philip-roth-681_astonishing_all-that-we-don-t-know-is-astonishing-ev_95550.jpg)

## More by Philip Roth

> [“The old intergenerational give-and-take of the country-that-used-to-be, when everyone knew his role and took the rules dead seriously, the acculturating back-and-forth that all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/the-old-intergenerational-give-and-take-of-the-country-that-used-to/)

[Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/)

> [You be greater than your feelings. I don't demand this of you - life does. Otherwise you'll be washed away by feelings. You'll be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/you-be-greater-than-your-feelings-i-don-t-demand-this-of-you-life/)

[Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/)

> [Nothing bad can happen to a writer. Everything is material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/nothing-bad-can-happen-to-a-writer-everything-is-material/)

[Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/)

> [The only way to have a funeral is to invite everyone who ever knew the person and just wait for the accident to happen-somebody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/the-only-way-to-have-a-funeral-is-to-invite-everyone-who-ever-knew/)

[Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/)

> [To become a celebrity is to become a brand name. There is Ivory Soap, Rice Krispies, and Philip Roth. Ivory is the soap that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/to-become-a-celebrity-is-to-become-a-brand-name-there-is-ivory-soap/)

[Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/)

> [“There are no reasons. She is obliged to be as she is. We all are. Reasons are in books.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/there-are-no-reasons-she-is-obliged-to-be-as-she-is-we-all-are/)

[Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/)

> [“As far as I can see there is no conquering or exorcising the past with words - words born either of imagination or forthrightness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/as-far-as-i-can-see-there-is-no-conquering-or-exorcising-the-past/)

[Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/)

> [The book really comes to life in the rewriting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/the-book-really-comes-to-life-in-the-rewriting/)

[Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/)

> [“What is astonishing is that we, who had no idea how anything was going to turn out, now know exactly what happened.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/what-is-astonishing-is-that-we-who-had-no-idea-how-anything-was-going/)

[Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/)

> [“Good Christ, a Jewish man with parents alive is a fifteen-year-old boy, and will remain a fifteen-year-old boy till they die!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/good-christ-a-jewish-man-with-parents-alive-is-a-fifteen-year-old-boy/)

[Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/)

> [I am the Raskolnikov of jerking off – the sticky evidence is everywhere!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/i-am-the-raskolnikov-of-jerking-off-the-sticky-evidence-is-everywhere/)

[Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/)

> [“Better for real things to be uncontrollable, better for one's life to be undecipherable and intellectually impenetrable than to attempt to make casual sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/better-for-real-things-to-be-uncontrollable-better-for-one-s-life-to/)

[Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/)

> [“Doctor Spielvogel, it alleviates nothing fixing the blame - blaming is still ailing, of course, of course - but nonetheless, what was it with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/doctor-spielvogel-it-alleviates-nothing-fixing-the-blame-blaming-is/)

[Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/)

> [My God! The English language is a form of communication! Conversation isn't just crossfire where you shoot and get shot at! Where you've got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/my-god-the-english-language-is-a-form-of-communication-conversation/)

[Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/)

> [You asked if I thought my fiction had changed anything in the culture and the answer is no. Sure, there's been some scandal, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/you-asked-if-i-thought-my-fiction-had-changed-anything-in-the-culture/)

[Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/)

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