Books Quote by Julian Barnes
““I've never written a book, except my first, without at some point considering that I might die before it was completed. This is all part of the superstition, the folklore, the mania of the business, the fetishistic fuss…Dying in the middle of a wo(rd), or three-fifths of the way through a nov(el). My friend the nov(el)ist Brian Moore used to fear this as well, though for an extra reason: "Because some bastard will come along and finish it for you." Here is a novelist's would-you-rather. Would you rather die in the middle of a book, and have some bastard finish it for you, or leave behind a work in progress that not a single bastard in the whole world was remotely interested in finishing?””
About This Quote
Source Interview: The Guardian, 2010
The quote reflects an author's anxiety about mortality and unfinished work, and fear of others completing it without his vision.
In simple terms: Worried about dying before finishing a book and others finishing it.
Key Takeaway
Embrace the process, not the outcome.
Themes
mortality
creative anxiety
authorship
Mood
reflective
anxious
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- writing a novel
- publishing
- legacy planning
- creative projects
Key Concepts
existential dread
literary control
Questions to Reflect On
- What would you create if you weren’t afraid of death?
- How does control affect artistic freedom?
A Different Perspective
The fear may hinder artistic risk‑taking.
