--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Perhaps the novel is a more perfect life…" description: "\"“Perhaps the novel is a more perfect life and reality, which God creates through us. Perhaps we live only to create it. It seems that civilization exis..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2a/fernando-pessoa-177_art_perhaps-the-novel-is-a-more-perfect-life_1757148.jpg" --- # Perhaps the novel is a more perfect life and reality… ![“Perhaps the novel is a more perfect life and reality, which God creates through us. Perhaps we live only to create it. It seems that civilization exists only to produce art and literature; words are what speak for it and remain. How do we know that these extra-human figures aren't truly real? It…” quote by Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2a/fernando-pessoa-177_art_perhaps-the-novel-is-a-more-perfect-life_1757148.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2a/fernando-pessoa-177_art_perhaps-the-novel-is-a-more-perfect-life_1757148.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2a/fernando-pessoa-177_art_perhaps-the-novel-is-a-more-perfect-life_1757148.jpg) > ““Perhaps the novel is a more perfect life and reality, which God creates through us. Perhaps we live only to create it. It seems that civilization exists only to produce art and literature; words are what speak for it and remain. How do we know that these extra-human figures aren't truly real? It tortures my mind to think this might be the case”” [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Art is humanity’s highest purpose; we create reality through creation, questioning existence. **In simple terms:** Art defines life; we wonder if creations are real. Key Takeaway Embrace creative purpose. Themes art existence philosophy Mood contemplative poetic Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - creative writing - philosophical debate - spiritual reflection Key Concepts metafiction ontological inquiry Questions to Reflect On - What gives life meaning beyond art? - Can creation replace lived experience? A Different Perspective The claim may idealize art beyond practical life. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Art And Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-and-literature/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life And Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-and-reality/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Perfect life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfect-life/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [“There are two fundamentally different ways for the strong to bend down to the weak, for the rich to help the poor, for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-scheler/there-are-two-fundamentally-different-ways-for-the-strong-to-bend/) [Max Scheler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-scheler/) > [I don't believe that it's inconsistent to be suspicious of people and also be totally comfortable with deploying the technology, because you know its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-wilson/i-don-t-believe-that-it-s-inconsistent-to-be-suspicious-of-people-and/) [Cody Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-wilson/) > [“Civilization exists by geologic consent, subject to change without notice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/civilization-exists-by-geologic-consent-subject-to-change-without/) [Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/) > [Civilization exists by geological consent, subject to change without notice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/civilization-exists-by-geological-consent-subject-to-change-without/) [Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/) > [Civilization exists precisely so that there may be no masses but rather men alert enough never to constitute masses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-bernanos/civilization-exists-precisely-so-that-there-may-be-no-masses-but/) [Georges Bernanos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-bernanos/) > [Wherever an altar is found, there civilization exists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/wherever-an-altar-is-found-there-civilization-exists/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [One might enumerate the items of high civilization, as it exists in other countries, which are absent from the texture of American life, until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/one-might-enumerate-the-items-of-high-civilization-as-it-exists-in/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [“The fundamental error of Romanticism is to confuse what we need with what we desire. 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A minor incident in the street brings the cook to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/what-s-given-in-fact-always-depends-on-the-person-or-thing-it-s-given/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [Smell is a strange sight. 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You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) Taf Teh > [The house has to serve comfort. 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