When I was younger, I wondered if it was possible to be a good person and a writer. — Karl Ove Knausgard Copy Share Image
“Writing isn't black magic. You just have to come up with an idea...” — Karl Ove Knausgård Copy Share Image
“Writing was a defeat, it was a humiliation, it was coming face-to-face with yourself and seeing you weren't good enough.” — Karl Ove Knausgård Copy Share Image
I spent six years after my first novel and five years after my second without getting into a new book. — Karl Ove Knausgard Copy Share Image
On the floor by my bed, there are heaps of books I want to read, books I have to read, and books… — Karl Ove Knausgard Copy Share Image
I have a longing for fiction - to try to believe in it and to disappear into it. — Karl Ove Knausgard Copy Share Image
“For a writer it was perhaps most important not to write, but to read. Read as much as you can because in… — Karl Ove Knausgård Copy Share Image
When I wrote my fictional novels, they always had a starting point of something real. Those images that are not real are… — Karl Ove Knausgard Copy Share Image
Knut Hamsun's writing is magical. His sentences are glowing; he could write about anything and make it alive. Of contemporary writers, Thure… — Karl Ove Knausgard Copy Share Image
In 2008, when I wrote Book 1 and Book 2, the head of the publishing house suggested twelve books - one each… — Karl Ove Knausgard Copy Share Image
“What was the point of all this? Flying all over Norway to read for ten minutes to four people? Talking smugly about… — Karl Ove Knausgård Copy Share Image
“Writing is drawing the essence of what we know out of the shadows. That is what writing is about. Not what happens… — Karl Ove Knausgård Copy Share Image
I think that the best literature has a core that you can't lock to a time or place but that can generate… — Karl Ove Knausgard Copy Share Image
The strange thing about writing is that it's so easy to write a novel. It is really easy. But it's getting there… — Karl Ove Knausgard Copy Share Image
I try to write about small insignificant things. I try to find out if it's possible to say anything about them. And… — Karl Ove Knausgard Copy Share Image
“I was a wannabe who was actually unable to write because I had nothing to say, who wasn’t honest enough with himself… — Karl Ove Knausgård Copy Share Image
Tarjei Vesaas has written the best Norwegian novel ever, 'The Birds' - it is absolutely wonderful: the prose is so simple and… — Karl Ove Knausgard Copy Share Image
A problem with my novels is that they, from the start, have been infantile and incredibly childish. There are childishness, stupidity, lack… — Karl Ove Knausgard Copy Share Image
When I started out on 'Min Kamp', I was so extremely frustrated over my life and my writing. I wanted to write… — Karl Ove Knausgard Copy Share Image
In modern novels I try to not let myself get away and to be here, and that's why I write about my… — Karl Ove Knausgard Copy Share Image
When I wrote my fictional novels, they always had a starting point of something real. Those images that are not real are exactly the… — Karl Ove Knausgard Copy Share Image
“When I look at a beautiful painting I have tears in my eyes, but not when I look at my children. That does not… — Karl Ove Knausgård Copy Share Image
“I was a wannabe who was actually unable to write because I had nothing to say, who wasn’t honest enough with himself to draw… — Karl Ove Knausgård Copy Share Image
I think there are a lot of similarities between writing and music. Music is much more direct and much more emotional and that's the… — Karl Ove Knausgard Copy Share Image
A problem with my novels is that they, from the start, have been infantile and incredibly childish. There are childishness, stupidity, lack of wisdom,… — Karl Ove Knausgard Copy Share Image
In modern novels I try to not let myself get away and to be here, and that's why I write about my life and… — Karl Ove Knausgard Copy Share Image
“Writing isn't black magic. You just have to come up with an idea...” — Karl Ove Knausgård Copy Share Image
“It was a fantastic feeling, but it left me restless because the most important thing in it was the longing, for what was going… — Karl Ove Knausgård Copy Share Image
“the past is now barely present in my thoughts. I believe the main reason for that is our children, since life with them in… — Karl Ove Knausgård Copy Share Image
“I loved it, I loved the feeling, it was my favorite feeling, but it never led to anything good, and the day after or… — Karl Ove Knausgård Copy Share Image
“Actually there were only two forms of existence, I reflected: one that was tied to a place and one that wasn't. Both had always… — Karl Ove Knausgård Copy Share Image
