---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I want to write a novel so profound that…"
description: "\"I want to write a novel so profound that it would suffocate a fly.\" — Gao Xingjian"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fd/gao-xingjian-6987_books_i-want-to-write-a-novel-so-profound-that_204792.jpg"
---

#  I want to write a novel so profound that it would…

![“I want to write a novel so profound that it would suffocate a fly.” quote by Gao Xingjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fd/gao-xingjian-6987_books_i-want-to-write-a-novel-so-profound-that_204792.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fd/gao-xingjian-6987_books_i-want-to-write-a-novel-so-profound-that_204792.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fd/gao-xingjian-6987_books_i-want-to-write-a-novel-so-profound-that_204792.jpg)

> “I want to write a novel so profound that it would suffocate a fly.”

[Gao Xingjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/)

## 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 humorously suggests aiming for artistic depth that overwhelms even the smallest creature, highlighting absurd ambition.

**In simple terms:** Aim for profound art, even if absurd.

Key Takeaway

Embrace bold, unconventional goals.

Themes

ambition art absurdity

Mood

playful ironic

Type

literary creative

When to use this quote

- writing a novel
- artistic experimentation
- literary criticism

Key Concepts

existentialism creative excess

Questions to Reflect On

- What does “suffocating a fly” symbolize for you?
- How far should artists push boundaries?

A Different Perspective

Such extreme depth may be unattainable or pretentious.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Profound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profound/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/)

## Related quotes

> [I don't want to write a novel per year. I know that I need a break of one or two years. So maybe I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/i-don-t-want-to-write-a-novel-per-year-i-know-that-i-need-a-break-of/)

[Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/)

> [If you want to write a novel, it's the Divine mind wanting to express.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-cameron/if-you-want-to-write-a-novel-it-s-the-divine-mind-wanting-to-express/)

[Julia Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-cameron/)

> [“I want to write a novel that is so good it causes readers to ignore meals, sleep, work, friends and spouses!!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-e-fisher/i-want-to-write-a-novel-that-is-so-good-it-causes-readers-to-ignore/)

R.E. Fisher

> [I really want to write a novel. I also want to learn to play the mandolin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-watson/i-really-want-to-write-a-novel-i-also-want-to-learn-to-play-the/)

[Emma Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-watson/)

> [I really want to write a novel. A few years ago I went so far as to do the cliché thing and rent this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-finn/i-really-want-to-write-a-novel-a-few-years-ago-i-went-so-far-as-to-do/)

[Craig Finn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-finn/)

> [One of my big revelations was that nobody cares whether you write your novel or not. They want you to be happy. Your parents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-lipsyte/one-of-my-big-revelations-was-that-nobody-cares-whether-you-write/)

[Sam Lipsyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-lipsyte/)

> [You have to be practical. So every time I say, if you want to write a novel you have to be practical, people get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/you-have-to-be-practical-so-every-time-i-say-if-you-want-to-write-a/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [I wasn't sitting around years ago thinking, 'I really want to write a novel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-waldman/i-wasn-t-sitting-around-years-ago-thinking-i-really-want-to-write-a/)

[Amy Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-waldman/)

> [If you get trapped in your head and out of your body during the writing process, it's very easy to make wrong turns. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soman-chainani/if-you-get-trapped-in-your-head-and-out-of-your-body-during-the/)

[Soman Chainani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soman-chainani/)

> [When people write a novel, they want to have that reach and that impact. To get it with a first novel, you can either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/when-people-write-a-novel-they-want-to-have-that-reach-and-that/)

[Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/)

> [I don't assume, because I can write screenplays, that I know how to write a novel. It's a very different world. There's a craft…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-rosenberg/i-don-t-assume-because-i-can-write-screenplays-that-i-know-how-to/)

[Melissa Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-rosenberg/)

> [“I'm going to write a novel and get it published. I'm going to do it because writing a novel is worthwhile and because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-ingermanson/i-m-going-to-write-a-novel-and-get-it-published-i-m-going-to-do-it/)

[Randy Ingermanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-ingermanson/)

> [When I need to take a side, I write a newspaper article and I tell my government, "You should not do that, you should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-oz/when-i-need-to-take-a-side-i-write-a-newspaper-article-and-i-tell-my/)

[Amos Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-oz/)

> [I've never been that person who thought that because I've written one novel, I should write another and another. It's only when there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/i-ve-never-been-that-person-who-thought-that-because-i-ve-written-one/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [“I can't understand why a person will take a year or two to write a novel when he can easily buy one for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/i-can-t-understand-why-a-person-will-take-a-year-or-two-to-write-a/)

[Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/)

## More by Gao Xingjian

> [“When a man gets to middle age shouldn’t he look for a peaceful and stable existence, find a not-too-demanding sort of a job, stay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/when-a-man-gets-to-middle-age-shouldn-t-he-look-for-a-peaceful-and/)

[Gao Xingjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/)

> [Literature transcends national boundaries, racial boundaries. It goes deep into the issues that concern all human beings. That is why, when people read Greek…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/literature-transcends-national-boundaries-racial-boundaries-it-goes/)

[Gao Xingjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/)

> [I hadn't originally intended to do any reading, what if I did read one book more or one book less, whether I read or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/i-hadn-t-originally-intended-to-do-any-reading-what-if-i-did-read-one/)

[Gao Xingjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/)

> [If you're not perfectly conscious of yourself, that self can be tyrannical; in relationship to others, anyone can become a tyrant. That's why no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/if-you-re-not-perfectly-conscious-of-yourself-that-self-can-be/)

[Gao Xingjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/)

> [Since childhood, I'd dreamed of making a film, but producers in France and Germany wanted to make commercial films with chinoiserie. I refused.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/since-childhood-i-d-dreamed-of-making-a-film-but-producers-in-france/)

[Gao Xingjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/)

> [Literature hasn't come up with any new themes. The literature of all different times - it's still dealing with how one resolves issues of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/literature-hasn-t-come-up-with-any-new-themes-the-literature-of-all/)

[Gao Xingjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/)

> [“Yours is much worse than Eastern! You’ve slapped together travel notes, moralistic ramblings, feelings, notes, jottings, untheoretical discussions, unfable-like fables, copied out some folk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/yours-is-much-worse-than-eastern-you-ve-slapped-together-travel-notes/)

[Gao Xingjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/)

> [The enterprise of describing something in language that has never been described before is a very difficult thing to do. When you decide to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/the-enterprise-of-describing-something-in-language-that-has-never/)

[Gao Xingjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/)

> [When I completed writing 'Soul Mountain,' I more or less closed the accounts with China for myself. I was 50 years old when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/when-i-completed-writing-soul-mountain-i-more-or-less-closed-the/)

[Gao Xingjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/)

> [Body odour (known also as scent of the immortals) is a disgusting condition with an awful, nauseating smell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/body-odour-known-also-as-scent-of-the-immortals-is-a-disgusting/)

[Gao Xingjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/)

> [If, while observing the boundless universe, the writer is able to scrutinise his own self as well as others, the resulting incisiveness of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/if-while-observing-the-boundless-universe-the-writer-is-able-to/)

[Gao Xingjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/)

> [When God talks to humans he doesn't want humans to hear his voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/when-god-talks-to-humans-he-doesn-t-want-humans-to-hear-his-voice/)

[Gao Xingjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/)

> [“At the height of the Cultural Revolution, rather than risk having to face dire consequences for his accumulated writings, he burned several kilos of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/at-the-height-of-the-cultural-revolution-rather-than-risk-having-to/)

[Gao Xingjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/)

> [Language is inherently not concerned with logic. As an expression of the psychological activities of humankind, it simply follows a linear process as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/language-is-inherently-not-concerned-with-logic-as-an-expression-of/)

[Gao Xingjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/)

> [There are numerous layers to truth, and the simple and superficial statement of facts cannot satisfy the writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/there-are-numerous-layers-to-truth-and-the-simple-and-superficial/)

[Gao Xingjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/)

[Explore all 91 Gao Xingjian quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/)

## 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. Krebs

> [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/)

[Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/)

> [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/)

[Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/)

> [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/)

[Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/)

> [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/)

[Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/)

> [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/)

Markus Herz

> [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/)

[Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/)

[Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I want to write a novel so profound that it would suffocate a fly.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Gao Xingjian"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/i-want-to-write-a-novel-so-profound-that-it-would-suffocate-a-fly/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Books"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/i-want-to-write-a-novel-so-profound-that-it-would-suffocate-a-fly/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fd/gao-xingjian-6987_books_i-want-to-write-a-novel-so-profound-that_204792.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fd/gao-xingjian-6987_books_i-want-to-write-a-novel-so-profound-that_204792.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fd/gao-xingjian-6987_books_i-want-to-write-a-novel-so-profound-that_204792.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I want to write a novel so profound that it would suffocate a fly.” — Gao Xingjian",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Gao Xingjian",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I want to write a novel...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/i-want-to-write-a-novel-so-profound-that-it-would-suffocate-a-fly/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/i-want-to-write-a-novel-so-profound-that-it-would-suffocate-a-fly/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```