--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Someone ought to write a novel about me,”…" description: "\"Someone ought to write a novel about me,” said Lebedeva loftily. “I shouldn’t care if they lied to make it more interesting, as long as they were good ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/998/catherynne-m-valente-375_barbarism_someone-ought-to-write-a-novel-about-me_1588344.png" --- # Someone ought to write a novel about me,” said Lebedeva… ![“Someone ought to write a novel about me,” said Lebedeva loftily. “I shouldn’t care if they lied to make it more interesting, as long as they were good lies, full of kisses and daring escapes and the occasional act of barbarism. I can’t abide a poor liar.” quote by Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/998/catherynne-m-valente-375_barbarism_someone-ought-to-write-a-novel-about-me_1588344.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/998/catherynne-m-valente-375_barbarism_someone-ought-to-write-a-novel-about-me_1588344.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/998/catherynne-m-valente-375_barbarism_someone-ought-to-write-a-novel-about-me_1588344.png) > “Someone ought to write a novel about me,” said Lebedeva loftily. “I shouldn’t care if they lied to make it more interesting, as long as they were good lies, full of kisses and daring escapes and the occasional act of barbarism. I can’t abide a poor liar.” [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A desire for a compelling story leads to tolerating falsehoods if they are vivid, daring, and imaginative, but not low‑quality deception. **In simple terms:** Prefer bold, creative lies over cheap ones. Key Takeaway Value storytelling over truth when it enriches imagination. Themes creativity storytelling truth imagination Mood playful critical Type literary inspirational When to use this quote - writing workshops - role‑playing games - film script development - personal storytelling - social media content creation Key Concepts mythmaking narrative ethics artistic license Questions to Reflect On - When is a fictional embellishment acceptable? - How do you balance truth and artistic flair? A Different Perspective Even “good” lies can distort reality and trust. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Barbarism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barbarism/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Daring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/daring/) [Interesting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting/) [Kissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kissing/) [Liar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liar/) [Liars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liars/) [Lied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lied/) [Lied Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lied-make-6014497/) [Lies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lies/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Novel Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel-said-1536664/) [Occasional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/occasional/) [Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Many other such substitutes for war will be discovered, but perhaps precisely thereby it will become more and more obvious that such a highly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/many-other-such-substitutes-for-war-will-be-discovered-but-perhaps/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [ To think, analyze and invent, he \[Pierre Menard\] also wrote me, “are not anomalous acts, but the normal respiration of the intelligence. 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Neither am I.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cook/i-met-a-man-at-a-party-he-said-i-m-writing-a-novel-i-said-oh-really/) [Peter Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-cook/) > [“I'm guessing this isn't the new JR Ward novel," I said, taking out a large book with an old fabric covering. " Armstrong Line…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammy-blackwell/i-m-guessing-this-isn-t-the-new-jr-ward-novel-i-said-taking-out-a/) [Tammy Blackwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammy-blackwell/) > [“Is it possible to write a reverent novel," said Nassrin, "and to have it be good?...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azar-nafisi/is-it-possible-to-write-a-reverent-novel-said-nassrin-and-to-have-it/) [Azar Nafisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azar-nafisi/) > [“I read daily, not so much for the benefit of my writing, but because I am addicted to it. There is nothing in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/i-read-daily-not-so-much-for-the-benefit-of-my-writing-but-because-i/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [Why honey, don't you want to get dressed?" My mother took care never to tell me to do anything. She would only reason with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/why-honey-don-t-you-want-to-get-dressed-my-mother-took-care-never-to/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [“This is better than a romance novel." P.J. said with a wistful sigh. "You read that stuff?" Cole demanded. "Why the hell do you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-banks/this-is-better-than-a-romance-novel-p-j-said-with-a-wistful-sigh-you/) [Maya Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-banks/) > [The scent organ was playing a delightfully refreshing Herbal Capriccio - rippling arpeggios of thyme and lavender, of rosemary, basil, myrtle, tarragon; a series…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/the-scent-organ-was-playing-a-delightfully-refreshing-herbal/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [Blue is for cruel bargains; green is for daring what you oughtn’t; violet is for brute force. I will say to you: Coral coaxes;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/blue-is-for-cruel-bargains-green-is-for-daring-what-you-oughtn-t/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) ## More by Catherynne M. Valente > [When I saw him I thought I could curl up inside him and go to sleep and never wake up." 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Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [We all live inside the terrible engine of authority, and it grinds and shrieks and burns so that no one will say: lines on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/we-all-live-inside-the-terrible-engine-of-authority-and-it-grinds-and/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [Her heart was bruised by the kiss, smashed and surprised and unsettled by it. September thought kisses were all nice, sweet things asked for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/her-heart-was-bruised-by-the-kiss-smashed-and-surprised-and-unsettled/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [“September put her hand on the grip of the Rivet Gun. She’d only just gotten it, and she’d promised to take copious notes for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/september-put-her-hand-on-the-grip-of-the-rivet-gun-she-d-only-just/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [Just tell yourself a story that'll satisfy you and pretend he told it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/just-tell-yourself-a-story-that-ll-satisfy-you-and-pretend-he-told-it/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [“You see, the future is a kind of stew, a soup, a vichyssoise of the present and the past. That's how you get the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/you-see-the-future-is-a-kind-of-stew-a-soup-a-vichyssoise-of-the/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [Fairy tales have always been about getting through the worst of everything, the darkest and the deepest and the bloodiest of events. They are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/fairy-tales-have-always-been-about-getting-through-the-worst-of/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [“There is a place, September, oh, very far from Pandemonium. A place where it is always autumn, where there is always cider and pumpkin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/there-is-a-place-september-oh-very-far-from-pandemonium-a-place-where/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [“I was happy, the sun was high. I had enough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/i-was-happy-the-sun-was-high-i-had-enough/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [Who are you?" "I am Death," said the creature. "I thought that was obvious." "But you're so small!" "Only because you are small. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/who-are-you-i-am-death-said-the-creature-i-thought-that-was-obvious/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) [Explore all 621 Catherynne M. Valente quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) ## More Barbarism quotes > [ That country \[Carthage\] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws;… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinking-into-the-state-of-barbarism/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [Liberty is the condition of progress. Without Liberty, there remains only barbarism. Without Liberty, there can be no civilization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/liberty-is-the-condition-of-progress-without-liberty-there-remains/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [“Odd, don't you think? I have seen war, and invasions and riots. 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At every step the history of civilization teaches us how slight and superficial a structure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/magic-begins-in-superstition-and-ends-in-science-at-every-step-the/) [Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/) [Browse all 238 Barbarism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barbarism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Someone ought to write a novel about me,” said Lebedeva loftily. “I shouldn’t care if they lied to make it more interesting, as long as they were good lies, full of kisses and daring escapes and the occasional act of barbarism. I can’t abide a poor liar.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Catherynne M. 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