Books Quote by Comte de Lautréamont
““To construct mechanically the brain of a somniferous tale, it is not enough to dissect nonsense & mightily stupefy the reader's intelligence with renowned doses, so as to paralyze his faculties for the rest of his life by the infallible law of fatigue; one must, besides, with good mesmeric fluid, make it somnambulistically impossible for him to move, against his nature forcing his eyes to cloud over at your own fixed stare.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Les Chants de Maldoror, 1869
A story must captivate without exhausting the reader; balance intrigue with clarity.
In simple terms: Balance intrigue and clarity.
Key Takeaway
Engage without overwhelming.
Themes
writing
attention
balance
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
literary
educational
When to use this quote
- novel writing
- teaching
- public speaking
Key Concepts
narrative technique
reader engagement
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you keep readers hooked?
- When is detail too much?
A Different Perspective
Complex language can alienate readers.
![“Margot [Hentoff] used to write regularly for The Voice, for The New York Review of Books, for Harper's Bazaar, and she really had the most distinctive writing style, even more than mine, than I've ever seen in this business.” quote by Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f16/nat-hentoff-1615_bazaars_margot-hentoff-used-to-write-regularly-f_598178.jpg)
