--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I would like the events never to be told…" description: "\"I would like the events never to be told directly by the author, but rather to be introduced (and several times, from various angles) by those among th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/538/andre-gide-790_accounts_i-would-like-the-events-never-to-be-told_751946.jpg" --- # I would like the events never to be told directly by the… ![“I would like the events never to be told directly by the author, but rather to be introduced (and several times, from various angles) by those among the characters on whom they will have had any effect. I would like those events, in the account they will make of them, to appear slightly distorted…” quote by Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/538/andre-gide-790_accounts_i-would-like-the-events-never-to-be-told_751946.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/538/andre-gide-790_accounts_i-would-like-the-events-never-to-be-told_751946.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/538/andre-gide-790_accounts_i-would-like-the-events-never-to-be-told_751946.jpg) > “I would like the events never to be told directly by the author, but rather to be introduced (and several times, from various angles) by those among the characters on whom they will have had any effect. I would like those events, in the account they will make of them, to appear slightly distorted; a kind of interest stems, for the reader, from the simple fact that he should need to restore. The story requires his collaboration in order to properly take shape.” [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Stories should be revealed through characters’ perspectives, creating distortion that forces readers to piece together truth. **In simple terms:** Let characters tell the story, not the author directly. Key Takeaway Engage readers by making them active participants. Themes narrative technique reader involvement subjectivity Mood analytical curious Type literary educational When to use this quote - novel writing - creative workshops - film script development - educational curricula Key Concepts literary theory storytelling psychology Questions to Reflect On - How does this method affect your reading experience? - What benefits arise from reader reconstruction? A Different Perspective Distorted narratives can confuse rather than enlighten. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Collaboration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collaboration/) [Events](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/events/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Shapes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shapes/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) ## Related quotes > [“The novelist defines the story with the following example: If you are told that the king died and then the queen died, that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-m-forster-2/the-novelist-defines-the-story-with-the-following-example-if-you-are/) [E.M. Forster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-forster-2/) > [“efficiency requires collaboration.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/efficiency-requires-collaboration/) [Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/) > [A successful solution to the client's design needs requires a collaboration of my skills, talents and knowledge with the client's information base, history in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-fisher/a-successful-solution-to-the-client-s-design-needs-requires-a/) [Jeff Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-fisher/) > [True public safety requires a collaboration between law enforcement and the community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-hodges/true-public-safety-requires-a-collaboration-between-law-enforcement/) [Betsy Hodges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-hodges/) > [Combating climate change requires collaboration with many levels of government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-schwarzenegger/combating-climate-change-requires-collaboration-with-many-levels-of/) [Arnold Schwarzenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-schwarzenegger/) > [A story is not something of this world. 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But they don’t realize they can and should be the good story. That requires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/most-people-want-to-hear-or-tell-a-good-story-but-they-don-t-realize/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [A compelling story requires conflict, friction, an obstacle to be overcome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-soltis-anderson/a-compelling-story-requires-conflict-friction-an-obstacle-to-be/) [Kristen Soltis Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-soltis-anderson/) > [It is not always by plugging away at a difficulty and sticking to it that one overcomes it; often it is by working on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/it-is-not-always-by-plugging-away-at-a-difficulty-and-sticking-to-it/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) ## More by Andre Gide > [Without mysticism man can achieve nothing great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/without-mysticism-man-can-achieve-nothing-great/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [“The things one feels are different about oneself are the things that are rare, that give each person their value - and these are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/the-things-one-feels-are-different-about-oneself-are-the-things-that/) [André Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [I believe that in every circumstance I have been able to see rather clearly the most advantageous course I could follow, which is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/i-believe-that-in-every-circumstance-i-have-been-able-to-see-rather/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [Know thyself. A maxim as pernicious as it is ugly. Whoever studies himself arrest his own development. A caterpillar who seeks to know himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/know-thyself-a-maxim-as-pernicious-as-it-is-ugly-whoever-studies/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [“There is a germ of revolt lying in the spirit of inquiry and critical curiosity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/there-is-a-germ-of-revolt-lying-in-the-spirit-of-inquiry-and-critical/) [André Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [Oh, would that my mind could let fall its dead ideas, as the tree does its withered leaves!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/oh-would-that-my-mind-could-let-fall-its-dead-ideas-as-the-tree-does/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [God lies ahead. I convince myself and constantly repeat to myself that: He depends on us. 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All that can be described is what prepares it, and then what destroys it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/what-would-a-narrative-of-happiness-be-like-all-that-can-be-described/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [It is with noble sentiments that bad literature gets written.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/it-is-with-noble-sentiments-that-bad-literature-gets-written/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [“C'est dans l'extraordinaire que je me sens le plus naturel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/c-est-dans-l-extraordinaire-que-je-me-sens-le-plus-naturel/) [André Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) [Explore all 304 Andre Gide quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) ## More Accounts quotes > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [Think of these things, whence you came, where you are going, and to whom you must account.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/think-of-these-things-whence-you-came-where-you-are-going-and-to-whom/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [There is nothing that we can properly call our own but our time, and yet everybody fools us out of it who has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/there-is-nothing-that-we-can-properly-call-our-own-but-our-time-and/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [The Hindus have a peculiar slovenliness in business matters, not being sufficiently methodical and strict in keeping accounts etc.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/the-hindus-have-a-peculiar-slovenliness-in-business-matters-not-being/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [With the Truman book, I wrote the entire account of his experiences in World War I before going over to Europe to follow his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/with-the-truman-book-i-wrote-the-entire-account-of-his-experiences-in/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [A great read; an exciting, frightening account of organized crime today. 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