--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Literature is mostly about having sex and…" description: "\"Literature is mostly about having sex and not much about having children. Life is the other way round.\" — David Lodge" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64e/david-lodge-11610_books_literature-is-mostly-about-having-sex-an_1097191.jpg" --- # Literature is mostly about having sex and not much about… ![“Literature is mostly about having sex and not much about having children. Life is the other way round.” quote by David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64e/david-lodge-11610_books_literature-is-mostly-about-having-sex-an_1097191.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64e/david-lodge-11610_books_literature-is-mostly-about-having-sex-an_1097191.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64e/david-lodge-11610_books_literature-is-mostly-about-having-sex-an_1097191.jpg) > “Literature is mostly about having sex and not much about having children. Life is the other way round.” [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote critiques literature's focus on sexual themes while neglecting parenthood, suggesting a reversal where life prioritizes children over sex. **In simple terms:** Literature often emphasizes sex, ignoring the importance of children. Key Takeaway Recognize the value of both intimacy and parenthood. Themes sexuality parenthood literary criticism Mood thoughtful critical Type analytical observational When to use this quote - book clubs - writing workshops - family discussions Key Concepts cultural critique gender roles life priorities Questions to Reflect On - How does this perspective change your reading choices? - Can literature balance sexual and parental themes? A Different Perspective The claim may oversimplify diverse literary works. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Having children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/having-children/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature/) ## Related quotes > [“Literature is mostly about having sex and not having children. Life is the other way around”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/literature-is-mostly-about-having-sex-and-not-having-children-life-is/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [Literature is mostly about having sex and not much about having children. Life is the other way around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-k-van-de-kamp/literature-is-mostly-about-having-sex-and-not-much-about-having-2/) John K Van De Kamp > [Having sex is all about having fun. Making love is all about making memories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-chapman/having-sex-is-all-about-having-fun-making-love-is-all-about-making/) [William Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-chapman/) > [I'm not an advocate for having sex or not having sex. It's a personal decision. Whenever you feel ready, you're ready.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-moore/i-m-not-an-advocate-for-having-sex-or-not-having-sex-it-s-a-personal/) [Mandy Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-moore/) > [If girls realized the consequences of sex, nobody would be having sex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bristol-palin/if-girls-realized-the-consequences-of-sex-nobody-would-be-having-sex/) [Bristol Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bristol-palin/) > [“People will point to books written about women, by men, and books written by women, and say, ‘Tell me, what is the difference?’ The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shireen-dodson/people-will-point-to-books-written-about-women-by-men-and-books/) Shireen Dodson > [“Sex koan #14: The secret to sex is having some.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sex-koan-14-the-secret-to-sex-is-having-some/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Because the thing of it is, no matter how much you enjoy sex, there’s something jolting and strangely disturbing about witnessing the sex of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/because-the-thing-of-it-is-no-matter-how-much-you-enjoy-sex-there-s/) [Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/) > [AIDS obliges people to think of sex as having, possibly, the direst consequences: suicide. Or murder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/aids-obliges-people-to-think-of-sex-as-having-possibly-the-direst/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [People who describe things as 'better than sex' are having the wrong kind of sex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-who-describe-things-as-better-than-sex-are-having-the-wrong/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“There is nothing great about having sex or 'not having' sex.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daya-kudari/there-is-nothing-great-about-having-sex-or-not-having-sex/) [Daya Kudari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daya-kudari/) > [Having children truly ends adolescence. We are all either parents or children: responsibility-takers or those who demand from others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/having-children-truly-ends-adolescence-we-are-all-either-parents-or/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [Having children, they're not your property. They need to figure out their own views. I think my daughters have a pretty healthy self-awareness, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-lennox/having-children-they-re-not-your-property-they-need-to-figure-out/) [Annie Lennox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-lennox/) > [More than any other personality trait, my mother seemed to be ruled by anger and sadness. She seemed to hate being a mother. Watching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merrill-markoe/more-than-any-other-personality-trait-my-mother-seemed-to-be-ruled-by/) [Merrill Markoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merrill-markoe/) > [“Makes me see that there might be some sense to having children after all, just so your entire life and all your family’s contributions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eowyn-ivey/makes-me-see-that-there-might-be-some-sense-to-having-children-after/) [Eowyn Ivey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eowyn-ivey/) ## More by David Lodge > [Universities are the cathedrals of the modern age. They shouldn't have to justify their existence by utilitarian criteria.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/universities-are-the-cathedrals-of-the-modern-age-they-shouldn-t-have/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [“We’re a bundle of incompatible parts, and we make up stories about ourselves to disguise the fact. The mental unity of the individual is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/we-re-a-bundle-of-incompatible-parts-and-we-make-up-stories-about/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [“perhaps it will I said perhaps it will be wonderful perhaps even though it won't be like you think perhaps that won't matter perhaps”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/perhaps-it-will-i-said-perhaps-it-will-be-wonderful-perhaps-even/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [“So they stood upon the shores of Faith and felt the old dogmas and certainties ebbing away rapidly under their feet and between their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/so-they-stood-upon-the-shores-of-faith-and-felt-the-old-dogmas-and/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [Jogging, I believe they call it. It seems to be an epidemic psychological illness afflicting Americans these days. A form of masochism, like the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/jogging-i-believe-they-call-it-it-seems-to-be-an-epidemic/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [“Cica in fiecare grasan se afla cate-un slabanog care se lupta sa iasa la lumina, iar eu unul ii aud strigatele inabusite ori de…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/cica-in-fiecare-grasan-se-afla-cate-un-slabanog-care-se-lupta-sa-iasa/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [“Information is the religion of the modern world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/information-is-the-religion-of-the-modern-world/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [“He hugs the thought to himself with guilty glee.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/he-hugs-the-thought-to-himself-with-guilty-glee/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [“When does a novel begin? The question is almost as difficult to answer as the question, when does the human embryo become a person? ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/when-does-a-novel-begin-the-question-is-almost-as-difficult-to-answer/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [It was Adam Appleby's misfortune that at the moment of awakening from sleep his consciousness was immediately flooded with everything he least wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/it-was-adam-appleby-s-misfortune-that-at-the-moment-of-awakening-from/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [“It was said that the view through the open window above the urinal, straight across the Bay to the Silver Span, was the finest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/it-was-said-that-the-view-through-the-open-window-above-the-urinal/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [“Our friends started life with too many beliefs -- the penalty of a Catholic upbringing. 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But if one could only strike the ball with sufficient force, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/language-is-the-net-that-holds-thought-trapped-within-a-particular/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [“It is, as I say, easy enough to describe Holden's style of narration; but more difficult to explain how it holds our attention and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/it-is-as-i-say-easy-enough-to-describe-holden-s-style-of-narration/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) [Explore all 59 David Lodge quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. 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