Books Quote by Cynthia Ozick
“In the compact between novelist and reader, the novelist promises to lie, and the reader promises to allow it.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: "The Novel and the Reader", The New Yorker, 1975
The author describes the mutual agreement where writers create fiction and readers willingly accept it.
In simple terms: Writers lie, readers consent.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the shared contract in storytelling.
Themes
literature
trust
fiction
Mood
reflective
analytical
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- book clubs
- creative writing classes
- literary criticism
- publishing decisions
Key Concepts
narrative theory
reader response
authorial intent
Questions to Reflect On
- Do readers always accept fictional lies?
- How does this pact affect interpretation?
A Different Perspective
Some may argue readers are passive, not actively consenting.
![“[In the case of] dangerous exercise of other powers, not granted by the said compact, the states, who are parties thereto, have the right, and are duty bound, to interpose for arresting the progress of the evil.” quote by James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a51/james-madison-373_arresting_in-the-case-of-dangerous-exercise-of-oth_63920.jpg)
![“What was lost in the European cataclysm was not only the Jewish past--the whole life of a civilization--but also a major share ofthe Jewish future… [ellipsis in source] It was not only the intellect of a people in its prime that was excised, but the treasure of a people in its potential.” quote by Cynthia Ozick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fc9/cynthia-ozick-2945_civilization_what-was-lost-in-the-european-cataclysm_217972.jpg)
