Books Quote by Michael Dirda
“A reviewer's lot is not always an easy one. I can remember flogging myself to finish Harold Brodkey's 'The Runaway Soul' despite the novel's consummate, unmitigated tedium.”
About This Quote
Source Review: The New York Times Book Review, Michael Dirda, 1995
Describes the difficulty of reviewing a tedious novel, emphasizing perseverance despite monotony.
In simple terms: Reviewing boring books is challenging.
Key Takeaway
Persist through monotony to complete tasks.
Themes
perseverance
literature
criticism
tedium
Mood
determined
analytical
Type
critical
professional
When to use this quote
- book reviewing
- academic work
- writing projects
Key Concepts
literary analysis
discipline
focus
Questions to Reflect On
- How to stay engaged with dull material?
- What strategies improve focus?
A Different Perspective
Monotony can diminish quality of critique.
![“Nearly all the writing of our time is likely to disappear in a hundred years. Certainly most readers - and nearly all critics - feel that [Kurt] Vonnegut started to repeat himself, to grow increasingly self-indulgent and meandering, and to sometimes just blather in his later work. But his books up…” quote by Michael Dirda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ed7/michael-dirda-3414_1960s_nearly-all-the-writing-of-our-time-is-li_13506.jpg)
