--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I admire Turgenev, Camus, Proust and…" description: "\"I admire Turgenev, Camus, Proust and Shakespeare, but I've also learnt a lot about writing from composers and artists.\" — Hisham Matar" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/835/hisham-matar-4118_about_i-admire-turgenev-camus-proust-and-shake_3218187.png" --- # I admire Turgenev, Camus, Proust and Shakespeare, but I've… ![“I admire Turgenev, Camus, Proust and Shakespeare, but I've also learnt a lot about writing from composers and artists.” quote by Hisham Matar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/835/hisham-matar-4118_about_i-admire-turgenev-camus-proust-and-shake_3218187.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/835/hisham-matar-4118_about_i-admire-turgenev-camus-proust-and-shake_3218187.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/835/hisham-matar-4118_about_i-admire-turgenev-camus-proust-and-shake_3218187.png) > “I admire Turgenev, Camus, Proust and Shakespeare, but I've also learnt a lot about writing from composers and artists.” [Hisham Matar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hisham-matar/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author values literary influences but also learns from music and visual arts, showing interdisciplinary inspiration. **In simple terms:** Writers can be inspired by many art forms. Key Takeaway Explore creative cross‑disciplinary influences. Themes creativity learning interdisciplinary Mood inspirational introspective Type creative educational When to use this quote - writing workshops - art exhibitions - music composition - personal development Key Concepts artistic synthesis influence education Questions to Reflect On - What non‑literary art inspires your writing? - How can you integrate other mediums into your work? A Different Perspective Relying solely on literature may limit perspective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artists/) [Composers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/composers/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Not all, but too many of the best writers, composers, and artists of our time begin to be acclaimed only when they no longer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clement-greenberg/not-all-but-too-many-of-the-best-writers-composers-and-artists-of-our/) [Clement Greenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clement-greenberg/) > [At school, I wrote in the style of the Dutch composers. After I graduated, a new style set in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krzysztof-penderecki/at-school-i-wrote-in-the-style-of-the-dutch-composers-after-i/) [Krzysztof Penderecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krzysztof-penderecki/) > [God created music as a common language for all men. It inspires the poets, the composers and the architects. It lures us to search…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/god-created-music-as-a-common-language-for-all-men-it-inspires-the/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [It would have been more obvious to go into film, based on the generation before me, but the generation before them were all composers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-coppola-schwartzman/it-would-have-been-more-obvious-to-go-into-film-based-on-the/) [Robert Coppola Schwartzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-coppola-schwartzman/) > [I think we have a lot in common with classical composers of the 19th century, although I'm not claiming to have their intelligence. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-bellamy/i-think-we-have-a-lot-in-common-with-classical-composers-of-the-19th/) [Matt Bellamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-bellamy/) > [In Hollywood, the rainbow hits the ground for composers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hoagy-carmichael/in-hollywood-the-rainbow-hits-the-ground-for-composers/) [Hoagy Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hoagy-carmichael/) > [The more dollars the studio producers put in, the less freedom we have. If the budget hits $100m, they get scared - they'll take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-rahman/the-more-dollars-the-studio-producers-put-in-the-less-freedom-we-have/) [A. R. Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-r-rahman/) > [There's still a lot I need to do as a player, as a musician, as a sound creator. I have commissioned 170 pieces: that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-glennie/there-s-still-a-lot-i-need-to-do-as-a-player-as-a-musician-as-a-sound/) [Evelyn Glennie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-glennie/) > [Men have been in the forefront of music for centuries, and they have written glorious music, loved and appreciated by many. In some ways,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-harbach/men-have-been-in-the-forefront-of-music-for-centuries-and-they-have/) [Barbara Harbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-harbach/) > [As far as rock groups, I really like Stone Temple Pilots. As for classical composers, it's Bach. I love Paganini, too, the Italian composer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-schulze/as-far-as-rock-groups-i-really-like-stone-temple-pilots-as-for/) [Matt Schulze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-schulze/) > [As improvisers, we're acting as composers in front of people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-elling/as-improvisers-we-re-acting-as-composers-in-front-of-people/) [Kurt Elling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-elling/) > [I always loved the motion picture scores and the great film composers like Elmer Bernstein.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sinatra-jr/i-always-loved-the-motion-picture-scores-and-the-great-film-composers/) [Frank Sinatra Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sinatra-jr/) > [Not many composers have ideas. Far more of them know how to use strange instruments which do not require ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gershwin/not-many-composers-have-ideas-far-more-of-them-know-how-to-use/) [George Gershwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gershwin/) > [Nobody can give a good performance unless the authors and composers have written a good part, a fact which is often overlooked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-holliday/nobody-can-give-a-good-performance-unless-the-authors-and-composers/) [Judy Holliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-holliday/) > [There are no black film composers doing the likes of Star Wars, doing the likes of E.T., doing the likes of Jurassic Park. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-j-johnson/there-are-no-black-film-composers-doing-the-likes-of-star-wars-doing/) [J. J. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-j-johnson/) ## More by Hisham Matar > [There and then, sitting beside her and within the strength of my adoration, I felt invincible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hisham-matar/there-and-then-sitting-beside-her-and-within-the-strength-of-my/) [Hisham Matar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hisham-matar/) > [To be okay with not knowing is a sign of a mature person and a mature society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hisham-matar/to-be-okay-with-not-knowing-is-a-sign-of-a-mature-person-and-a-mature/) [Hisham Matar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hisham-matar/) > [“History remembers Mussolini as the buffoonish Fascist, the ineffective silly man of Italy who led a lame military campaign in the Second World War,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hisham-matar/history-remembers-mussolini-as-the-buffoonish-fascist-the-ineffective/) [Hisham Matar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hisham-matar/) > [Grief loves the hollow; all it wants is to hear its own echo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hisham-matar/grief-loves-the-hollow-all-it-wants-is-to-hear-its-own-echo/) [Hisham Matar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hisham-matar/) > [Dreams have consequences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hisham-matar/dreams-have-consequences/) [Hisham Matar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hisham-matar/) > [Language is not just a code; you are writing into its history, into its tides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hisham-matar/language-is-not-just-a-code-you-are-writing-into-its-history-into-its/) [Hisham Matar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hisham-matar/) > [My parents were fairly laid-back, but there were certain things about which they were very strict. My brother and I were told never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hisham-matar/my-parents-were-fairly-laid-back-but-there-were-certain-things-about/) [Hisham Matar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hisham-matar/) > [I am terribly interested in the paragraph: the paragraph as an object, the construction, and the possibilities of what a paragraph can do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hisham-matar/i-am-terribly-interested-in-the-paragraph-the-paragraph-as-an-object/) [Hisham Matar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hisham-matar/) > [My parents left Libya in 1979, escaping political repression, and settled in Cairo. I was nine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hisham-matar/my-parents-left-libya-in-1979-escaping-political-repression-and/) [Hisham Matar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hisham-matar/) > [Libyans are deeply unsettled by Gaddafi and his regime's careless contempt for human life. The dictatorship is willing to employ any methods necessary to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hisham-matar/libyans-are-deeply-unsettled-by-gaddafi-and-his-regime-s-careless/) [Hisham Matar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hisham-matar/) > [My best hope is that Libya turns into a peaceful, sensible country that has all the things my father and lots of others have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hisham-matar/my-best-hope-is-that-libya-turns-into-a-peaceful-sensible-country/) [Hisham Matar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hisham-matar/) > [Season of Migration to the North, by Tayeb Salih, is an eloquent and restrained portrait of one man's exile. It is a rare narrative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hisham-matar/season-of-migration-to-the-north-by-tayeb-salih-is-an-eloquent-and/) [Hisham Matar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hisham-matar/) > [Turgenev's achievement lies in how he succeeded, in spite of himself, his country, and his time, in exempting his work from public duty. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hisham-matar/turgenev-s-achievement-lies-in-how-he-succeeded-in-spite-of-himself/) [Hisham Matar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hisham-matar/) > [Over the centuries, close-knit tribes have played an important part in the cohesion of Libyan society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hisham-matar/over-the-centuries-close-knit-tribes-have-played-an-important-part-in/) [Hisham Matar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hisham-matar/) > [My work is my shelter, particularly in these moments when things are happening fast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hisham-matar/my-work-is-my-shelter-particularly-in-these-moments-when-things-are/) [Hisham Matar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hisham-matar/) [Explore all 116 Hisham Matar quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hisham-matar/) ## More About quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/) [Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/) > [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/) [Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/) [Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/) [Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/) > [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) Browse all 26,122 About quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I admire Turgenev, Camus, Proust and Shakespeare, but I've also learnt a lot about writing from composers and artists.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Hisham Matar" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hisham-matar/i-admire-turgenev-camus-proust-and-shakespeare-but-i-ve-also-learnt-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "About" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hisham-matar/i-admire-turgenev-camus-proust-and-shakespeare-but-i-ve-also-learnt-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/835/hisham-matar-4118_about_i-admire-turgenev-camus-proust-and-shake_3218187.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/835/hisham-matar-4118_about_i-admire-turgenev-camus-proust-and-shake_3218187.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/835/hisham-matar-4118_about_i-admire-turgenev-camus-proust-and-shake_3218187.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I admire Turgenev, Camus, Proust and Shakespeare, but I've also learnt a lot about writing from composers…” — Hisham Matar", "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": "Hisham Matar", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hisham-matar/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I admire Turgenev, Camus, Proust and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hisham-matar/i-admire-turgenev-camus-proust-and-shakespeare-but-i-ve-also-learnt-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hisham-matar/i-admire-turgenev-camus-proust-and-shakespeare-but-i-ve-also-learnt-a/#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 } } ] } ```