---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He turns the pages from right to left. He…"
description: "\"“He turns the pages from right to left. He begins at the beginning and ends at the end. This makes a quirky sense to me—but Mikio and I are definitely ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a47/martin-amis-704_quote_he-turns-the-pages-from-right-to-left-he_1693420.jpg"
---

#  He turns the pages from right to left. He begins at the…

![“He turns the pages from right to left. He begins at the beginning and ends at the end. This makes a quirky sense to me—but Mikio and I are definitely in the minority here. And how can we two be right? It would make so many others wrong. Water moves upward. It seeks the highest level. What did you…” quote by Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a47/martin-amis-704_quote_he-turns-the-pages-from-right-to-left-he_1693420.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a47/martin-amis-704_quote_he-turns-the-pages-from-right-to-left-he_1693420.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a47/martin-amis-704_quote_he-turns-the-pages-from-right-to-left-he_1693420.jpg)

> ““He turns the pages from right to left. He begins at the beginning and ends at the end. This makes a quirky sense to me—but Mikio and I are definitely in the minority here. And how can we two be right? It would make so many others wrong. Water moves upward. It seeks the highest level. What did you expect? Smoke falls. Things are created in the violence of fire. But that’s all right. Gravity still pins us to the planet.””

[Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Explores unconventional perspectives on order, chaos, and natural laws.

**In simple terms:** Embrace paradoxical ideas about reality.

Key Takeaway

Accept contradictory truths.

Themes

philosophy creativity science

Mood

thoughtful poetic

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- artistic expression
- theoretical discussions
- personal reflection

Key Concepts

entropy gravity fire dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

- What does “water moves upward” symbolize?
- How do contradictions inspire innovation?

A Different Perspective

Complex ideas may confuse audiences.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Beginning And End](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beginning-and-end/)

## Related quotes

> [“Irrelevant’ Chris Fogle turns a page. Howard Cardwell turns a page. Ken Wax turns a page. Matt Redgate turns a page. ‘Groovy’ Bruce Channing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/irrelevant-chris-fogle-turns-a-page-howard-cardwell-turns-a-page-ken/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

> [Every beginning is a consequence - every beginning ends some thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-valery/every-beginning-is-a-consequence-every-beginning-ends-some-thing/)

[Paul Valery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-valery/)

> [“Before the beginning ends, start a new chapter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhavik-sarkhedi/before-the-beginning-ends-start-a-new-chapter/)

[Bhavik Sarkhedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhavik-sarkhedi/)

> [“A moment’s beginning ends in a moment”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/munia-khan/a-moment-s-beginning-ends-in-a-moment/)

[Munia Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/munia-khan/)

> [“Each end is always a beginning, because nothing ever ends totally, nothing can ever end. Everything continues, only forms change.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/each-end-is-always-a-beginning-because-nothing-ever-ends-totally/)

[Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/)

> [Love is a beginning but why everyone ends at it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhargavi/love-is-a-beginning-but-why-everyone-ends-at-it/)

[Bhargavi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhargavi/)

> [“You are no failure, on a river. The water moves regardless - for all it cares, you might be a minnow or a tadpole,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leif-enger/you-are-no-failure-on-a-river-the-water-moves-regardless-for-all-it/)

[Leif Enger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leif-enger/)

> [“It is a hot summer day in Tennessee in the midst of the sixth decade of this century. The girl has climbed the fence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-griffin/it-is-a-hot-summer-day-in-tennessee-in-the-midst-of-the-sixth-decade/)

[Susan Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-griffin/)

> [“Water that never moves." I say to him. "Its fine for a little while. You can drink from it and it'll sustain you. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/water-that-never-moves-i-say-to-him-its-fine-for-a-little-while-you/)

[Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/)

> [“I want Adam to be happy, Kenji, I really do. But he and I would end up like water going nowhere." "What do you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/i-want-adam-to-be-happy-kenji-i-really-do-but-he-and-i-would-end-up/)

[Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/)

> [There are so many symptoms of this disease it's hard to know where to start to catalogue them, but just look at the effects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/there-are-so-many-symptoms-of-this-disease-it-s-hard-to-know-where-to/)

[Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/)

> [I become a waterwheel, turning and tasting you, as long as water moves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/i-become-a-waterwheel-turning-and-tasting-you-as-long-as-water-moves/)

[Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/)

> [“He and I would end up like water going nowhere. Water that never moves-- It's fine for a little while. You can drink from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/he-and-i-would-end-up-like-water-going-nowhere-water-that-never-moves/)

[Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/)

> [The more rapidly the water moves, the lighter it seems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-acker/the-more-rapidly-the-water-moves-the-lighter-it-seems/)

[Kathy Acker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-acker/)

> [“As a phenomenon, life has a beginning and ending, but life itself doesn’t. So, which one is truly me - a phenomenon that lasts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilchi-lee/as-a-phenomenon-life-has-a-beginning-and-ending-but-life-itself-doesn/)

[Ilchi Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilchi-lee/)

## More by Martin Amis

> [“Yeah,' I said and started smoking another cigarette. Unless I inform you otherwise, I'm always smoking another cigarette.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/yeah-i-said-and-started-smoking-another-cigarette-unless-i-inform-you/)

[Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/)

> [“barrios; each barrio has two or three gangs, and all the gangs are theoretically”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/barrios-each-barrio-has-two-or-three-gangs-and-all-the-gangs-are/)

[Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/)

> [I'm not interested in making a diagnostic novel or a concern. I'm 100 percent committed in fiction to the pleasure principle - that's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/i-m-not-interested-in-making-a-diagnostic-novel-or-a-concern-i-m-100/)

[Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/)

> [“If we all downed tools and joined hands for ten minutes and stopped believing in money, then money would no longer exist. We never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/if-we-all-downed-tools-and-joined-hands-for-ten-minutes-and-stopped/)

[Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/)

> [When I see a lot of young faces in the audience, it's just sort of sinking in how important that is. Because you're old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/when-i-see-a-lot-of-young-faces-in-the-audience-it-s-just-sort-of/)

[Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/)

> [“I was informed by my viscera that now was the time to put my arm around her shoulders. I ignored them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/i-was-informed-by-my-viscera-that-now-was-the-time-to-put-my-arm/)

[Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/)

> [You use a different part of your heart with girls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/you-use-a-different-part-of-your-heart-with-girls/)

[Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/)

> [It's becoming clearer and clearer to me that the world is there to be celebrated by writers, and in fact this is what all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/it-s-becoming-clearer-and-clearer-to-me-that-the-world-is-there-to-be/)

[Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/)

> [In her final months Princess Diana was being shat upon by the tabloids -- basically for sleeping with an Arab. When she died, these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/in-her-final-months-princess-diana-was-being-shat-upon-by-the/)

[Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/)

> [If you feel you have a strong constituency among the young, you can really die happy, because the great unanswered question, the only valid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/if-you-feel-you-have-a-strong-constituency-among-the-young-you-can/)

[Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/)

> [My life looked good on paper - where, in fact, almost all of it was being lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/my-life-looked-good-on-paper-where-in-fact-almost-all-of-it-was-being/)

[Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/)

> [I say, 'If I had a serious brain injury I might well write a children's book', but otherwise the idea of being conscious of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/i-say-if-i-had-a-serious-brain-injury-i-might-well-write-a-children-s/)

[Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/)

> [The future could go this way, that way. The future's futures have never looked so rocky. Don't put money on it. Take my advice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/the-future-could-go-this-way-that-way-the-future-s-futures-have-never/)

[Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/)

> [Each life is a game of chess that went to hell on the seventh move(...)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/each-life-is-a-game-of-chess-that-went-to-hell-on-the-seventh-move/)

[Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/)

> [ “There exists a subterranean world where pathological fantasies disguised as ideas are churned out by crooks and half-educated fanatics \[notably the lower clergy\] for… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/there-exists-a-subterranean-world-where-pathological-fantasies/)

[Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/)

[Explore all 393 Martin Amis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/)

## More Beginning And End quotes

> [“As a phenomenon, life has a beginning and ending, but life itself doesn’t. So, which one is truly me - a phenomenon that lasts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilchi-lee/as-a-phenomenon-life-has-a-beginning-and-ending-but-life-itself-doesn/)

[Ilchi Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilchi-lee/)

> [I, for one, am profoundly grateful to feel the hand of God at work in my life. But at the beginning and end of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charity-sunshine-tillemann-dick/i-for-one-am-profoundly-grateful-to-feel-the-hand-of-god-at-work-in/)

[Charity Sunshine Tillemann-Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charity-sunshine-tillemann-dick/)

> [“Birth and death," Chet said. "The poles of human existence. We're like meridians, all beginning and ending in the same place. We spread out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/birth-and-death-chet-said-the-poles-of-human-existence-we-re-like/)

[Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/)

> [I love her, and that's the beginning and end of everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-love-her-and-that-s-the-beginning-and-end-of-everything/)

[F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/)

> [As an actor, you don't want to know the beginning and end to your character's arc. It makes it more fun. You're not playing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-gavaris/as-an-actor-you-don-t-want-to-know-the-beginning-and-end-to-your/)

[Jordan Gavaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-gavaris/)

> [When I wake up it is you I'm thinking of, when I go to sleep it is you I'm thinking of. You are my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-larranaga/when-i-wake-up-it-is-you-i-m-thinking-of-when-i-go-to-sleep-it-is-you/)

[Brandon Larranaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-larranaga/)

> [I've learned two things in my life. One that love is the beginning and end of all meaning. And two that it is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/i-ve-learned-two-things-in-my-life-one-that-love-is-the-beginning-and/)

[Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/)

> [A robust internal auditing program shows its presence both at the beginning and end of continual improvement projects. In the beginning, internal audits identify…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-novak/a-robust-internal-auditing-program-shows-its-presence-both-at-the/)

[John Novak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-novak/)

> [What does the artist do? He draws connections. He ties the invisible threads between things. He dives into history, be it the history of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-kiefer/what-does-the-artist-do-he-draws-connections-he-ties-the-invisible/)

[Anselm Kiefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-kiefer/)

> [To me, the 90's signaled the end of glam rock, the beginning of gangsta rap, and hopefully the beginning and end of boy bands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-west/to-me-the-90-s-signaled-the-end-of-glam-rock-the-beginning-of-gangsta/)

[Shane West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-west/)

> [“Everything is all one - that is the beginning and end with you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/everything-is-all-one-that-is-the-beginning-and-end-with-you/)

[George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/)

> [My present and most fixed opinion regarding the nature of alcoholic fermentation is this: The chemical act of fermentation is essentially a phenomenon correlative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-pasteur/my-present-and-most-fixed-opinion-regarding-the-nature-of-alcoholic/)

[Louis Pasteur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-pasteur/)

> [Knowledge of human nature is the beginning and end of political education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/knowledge-of-human-nature-is-the-beginning-and-end-of-political/)

[Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/)

> [Limitless and immortal, the waters are the beginning and end of all things on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-zimmer/limitless-and-immortal-the-waters-are-the-beginning-and-end-of-all/)

[Heinrich Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-zimmer/)

> [Thus all things are subject to death, sorrow and suffering. I became aware that I too was of the same nature, the nature of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/thus-all-things-are-subject-to-death-sorrow-and-suffering-i-became/)

[Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/)

[Browse all 126 Beginning And End quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beginning-and-end/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“He turns the pages from right to left. He begins at the beginning and ends at the end. This makes a quirky sense to me—but Mikio and I are definitely in the minority here. And how can we two be right? It would make so many others wrong. Water moves upward. It seeks the highest level. What did you expect? Smoke falls. Things are created in the violence of fire. But that’s all right. Gravity still pins us to the planet.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Martin Amis"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/he-turns-the-pages-from-right-to-left-he-begins-at-the-beginning-and/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Beginning And End"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/he-turns-the-pages-from-right-to-left-he-begins-at-the-beginning-and/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a47/martin-amis-704_quote_he-turns-the-pages-from-right-to-left-he_1693420.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a47/martin-amis-704_quote_he-turns-the-pages-from-right-to-left-he_1693420.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a47/martin-amis-704_quote_he-turns-the-pages-from-right-to-left-he_1693420.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“He turns the pages from right to left. He begins at the beginning and ends at the end. This makes a quirky…” — Martin Amis",
                "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": "Martin Amis",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“He turns the pages from right...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/he-turns-the-pages-from-right-to-left-he-begins-at-the-beginning-and/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/he-turns-the-pages-from-right-to-left-he-begins-at-the-beginning-and/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
