--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In novels you're able to occupy…" description: "\"In novels you're able to occupy character's internal thoughts and it's really hard to do in a film or a TV show. When you're reading a character's thou..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfb/joe-meno-7831_able_in-novels-you-re-able-to-occupy-characte_2634176.jpg" --- # In novels you're able to occupy character's internal… ![“In novels you're able to occupy character's internal thoughts and it's really hard to do in a film or a TV show. When you're reading a character's thoughts or when it's in first person, you're reading kind of their own story, so you have the opportunity to see what makes that character complex or…” quote by Joe Meno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfb/joe-meno-7831_able_in-novels-you-re-able-to-occupy-characte_2634176.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfb/joe-meno-7831_able_in-novels-you-re-able-to-occupy-characte_2634176.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfb/joe-meno-7831_able_in-novels-you-re-able-to-occupy-characte_2634176.jpg) > “In novels you're able to occupy character's internal thoughts and it's really hard to do in a film or a TV show. When you're reading a character's thoughts or when it's in first person, you're reading kind of their own story, so you have the opportunity to see what makes that character complex or complicated. And to me that's what the whole point of fiction is.” [Joe Meno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-meno/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Fiction allows deep access to a character’s mind, unlike visual media. **In simple terms:** Novels reveal inner thoughts; films cannot. Key Takeaway Read fiction for inner insight. Themes fiction mind storytelling Mood analytical enthusiastic Type literary educational When to use this quote - book clubs - creative writing classes - therapy reading Key Concepts narrative perspective psychology of characters literary analysis Questions to Reflect On - How does internal monologue affect empathy? - What limits do visual media face? A Different Perspective Film can convey emotion visually. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Complexes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complexes/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [First person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-person/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Novels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novels/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Tv shows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tv-shows/) ## Related quotes > [The acceptance that all that is solid has melted into the air, that reality and morality are not givens but imperfect human constructs, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/the-acceptance-that-all-that-is-solid-has-melted-into-the-air-that/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [In 'Saaho,' I play a grey character, someone who is complex from within. Devraj is someone who has grown cold over time, to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chunky-pandey/in-saaho-i-play-a-grey-character-someone-who-is-complex-from-within/) [Chunky Pandey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chunky-pandey/) > [It works better if your lead character is complex and interesting and not perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hirst/it-works-better-if-your-lead-character-is-complex-and-interesting-and/) [Michael Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hirst/) > [The whole history of pop music had rested on the first person singular, with occasional intrusions of the second person singular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/the-whole-history-of-pop-music-had-rested-on-the-first-person/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [I like embracing kind of normal forms but am always trying to approach them as if no one's ever done that before. As if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-july/i-like-embracing-kind-of-normal-forms-but-am-always-trying-to/) [Miranda July](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-july/) > [“Columbus was not the first person to discover America, but the last.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-domingos/columbus-was-not-the-first-person-to-discover-america-but-the-last/) [Pedro Domingos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-domingos/) > [“A part of a healthy conscience is being able to confront consciencelessness. When you teach your daughter, explicitly or by passive rejection, that she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/a-part-of-a-healthy-conscience-is-being-able-to-confront/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) > [“It is said to be the age of the first person singular”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/it-is-said-to-be-the-age-of-the-first-person-singular/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I think the first person to call me 'Britain's Obama' was Martin Bright at the New Statesman. 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I'm the first person to judge myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-weeknd/i-m-all-about-evolution-i-m-the-first-person-to-judge-myself/) [The Weeknd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-weeknd/) ## More by Joe Meno > [Our worlds are so momentary. We are along all our lives and then go off that way as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-meno/our-worlds-are-so-momentary-we-are-along-all-our-lives-and-then-go/) [Joe Meno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-meno/) > [I was getting close to thirty and was trying on the idea of becoming more mature. I was reading more. I had gone out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-meno/i-was-getting-close-to-thirty-and-was-trying-on-the-idea-of-becoming/) [Joe Meno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-meno/) > [“wondered about what he said and then thought hard. I could never be a dick, not to Gretchen anyway, so I guess I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-meno/wondered-about-what-he-said-and-then-thought-hard-i-could-never-be-a/) [Joe Meno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-meno/) > [“Go to a goddamn priest if you wanna be lied to. I've seen too many of your kind slip back inside to fool myself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-meno/go-to-a-goddamn-priest-if-you-wanna-be-lied-to-i-ve-seen-too-many-of/) [Joe Meno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-meno/) > [Maybe that's why people have friends at all. Not because they like them so much but because they don't make them feel so much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-meno/maybe-that-s-why-people-have-friends-at-all-not-because-they-like/) [Joe Meno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-meno/) > [“Madeline decides Jonathan is an immature, selfish asshole and that she is never talking to him again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-meno/madeline-decides-jonathan-is-an-immature-selfish-asshole-and-that-she/) [Joe Meno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-meno/) > [“-Are you ready to return to the outside world, Billy? -No, definitely not, sir. -Well, you can't stay here forever now, can you? -Why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-meno/are-you-ready-to-return-to-the-outside-world-billy-no-definitely-not/) [Joe Meno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-meno/) > [“The more you like a girl, the less she likes you. It’s like fucking scientific.” “What about you and Kim?” “That’s what I’m talking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-meno/the-more-you-like-a-girl-the-less-she-likes-you-it-s-like-fucking/) [Joe Meno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-meno/) > [“Jack: Well, I've never been to New York, but I hear it's for assholes. Odile: It's not. Jack: Well, that's what I heard. Cool…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-meno/jack-well-i-ve-never-been-to-new-york-but-i-hear-it-s-for-assholes/) [Joe Meno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-meno/) > [“How’s life?” “That’s the stupidest question I’ve ever heard.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-meno/how-s-life-that-s-the-stupidest-question-i-ve-ever-heard/) [Joe Meno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-meno/) > [We have fun acting like this, acting like we are incredibly offended. Really, we are just bored to tears with everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-meno/we-have-fun-acting-like-this-acting-like-we-are-incredibly-offended/) [Joe Meno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-meno/) > [“For years, Thisbe will later think of that one moment in the field as the only time she was ever sure about anything in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-meno/for-years-thisbe-will-later-think-of-that-one-moment-in-the-field-as/) [Joe Meno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-meno/) > [What I've learned is that there is nothing in this life that does not fail to disappoint us, even our own deaths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-meno/what-i-ve-learned-is-that-there-is-nothing-in-this-life-that-does-not/) [Joe Meno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-meno/) > [“And he says, “I’m trying to figure out what’s wrong with me. And I think I realized that I’m average, that there’s nothing remarkable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-meno/and-he-says-i-m-trying-to-figure-out-what-s-wrong-with-me-and-i-think/) [Joe Meno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-meno/) > [“Without death, there is hardly any threat strong enough to truly appreciate human life. He thinks: I am as good as dead--too afraid to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-meno/without-death-there-is-hardly-any-threat-strong-enough-to-truly/) [Joe Meno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-meno/) [Explore all 87 Joe Meno quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-meno/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) Greg Perry > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. 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And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In novels you're able to occupy character's internal thoughts and it's really hard to do in a film or a TV show. When you're reading a character's thoughts or when it's in first person, you're reading kind of their own story, so you have the opportunity to see what makes that character complex or complicated. 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