---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The characters in my novels are my own…"
description: "\"“The characters in my novels are my own unrealized possibilities. That is why I am equally fond of them all and equally horrified by them. Each one has..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e07/milan-kundera-120_books_the-characters-in-my-novels-are-my-own-u_502820.jpg"
---

#  The characters in my novels are my own unrealized…

![“The characters in my novels are my own unrealized possibilities. That is why I am equally fond of them all and equally horrified by them. Each one has crossed a border that I myself have cirumvented. It is that crossed border (the border beyond which my own &quot;I&quot; ends) which attracts me most. For…” quote by Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e07/milan-kundera-120_books_the-characters-in-my-novels-are-my-own-u_502820.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e07/milan-kundera-120_books_the-characters-in-my-novels-are-my-own-u_502820.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e07/milan-kundera-120_books_the-characters-in-my-novels-are-my-own-u_502820.jpg)

> ““The characters in my novels are my own unrealized possibilities. That is why I am equally fond of them all and equally horrified by them. Each one has crossed a border that I myself have cirumvented. It is that crossed border (the border beyond which my own "I" ends) which attracts me most. For beyond that border begins the secret the novel asks about. The novel is not the author's confession; it is an investigation of human life in the trap the world has become. But enough. Let us return to Tomas.””

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

## 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 sees characters as extensions of his untapped potential, exploring borders beyond his identity to probe life's mysteries.

**In simple terms:** Characters represent the author's hidden possibilities and the limits of self.

Key Takeaway

Explore beyond personal limits to understand humanity.

Themes

identity creativity self‑exploration human nature

Mood

reflective introspective

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- writing
- psychological analysis
- personal growth

Key Concepts

potential border crossing investigation

Questions to Reflect On

- What borders in your life remain unexplored?
- How do fictional limits reveal real possibilities?

A Different Perspective

Characters may not fully capture the author's inner truth.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Human life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-life/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/)

## Related quotes

> [The characters in my novels are my own unrealized possibilities. That is why I am equally fond of them all and equally horrified by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-characters-in-my-novels-are-my-own-unrealized-possibilities-that/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [“As I have pointed out before, characters are not born like people, of woman; they are born of a situation, a sentence, a metaphor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/as-i-have-pointed-out-before-characters-are-not-born-like-people-of-2/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [The novel is not the author's confession; it is an investigation of human life in the trap the world has become](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-novel-is-not-the-author-s-confession-it-is-an-investigation-of/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [The best project is one that asks a novel question.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gilbert/the-best-project-is-one-that-asks-a-novel-question/)

[Walter Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/)

> [“My message will be very clear; it is that I think we have to continue to read novels. Because I think that the novel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-marie-g-le-cl-zio/my-message-will-be-very-clear-it-is-that-i-think-we-have-to-continue/)

Jean-Marie G. Le Clezio

> [“When you are writing a novel, you as the author will wear many hats. You are the writer, reader, and most importantly you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laquita-cameron/when-you-are-writing-a-novel-you-as-the-author-will-wear-many-hats/)

LaQuita Cameron

> [As much as I really like the screenwriting thing, the novel is where the author has so much control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/as-much-as-i-really-like-the-screenwriting-thing-the-novel-is-where/)

[Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/)

> [The novel that an author writes is often not the novel that the reader reads, and most of the 'messages' in a novel are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/the-novel-that-an-author-writes-is-often-not-the-novel-that-the/)

[Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/)

> [In a novel, the author gives the leading character intelligence and distinction. Fate goes to less trouble: mediocrities play a part in great events…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-maurice-de-talleyrand/in-a-novel-the-author-gives-the-leading-character-intelligence-and/)

[Charles Maurice de Talleyrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-maurice-de-talleyrand/)

> [We often say that we fear no invasion from the south, but the armies of the south have already crossed the border - American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-jeannette-duncan/we-often-say-that-we-fear-no-invasion-from-the-south-but-the-armies/)

[Sara Jeannette Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-jeannette-duncan/)

> [“As we crossed the border, I saw God in the sky in the form of huge sunburst cloud above the barren desert. He seemed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-n-harris/as-we-crossed-the-border-i-saw-god-in-the-sky-in-the-form-of-huge/)

[José N. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-n-harris/)

> [My father is pretty much a self-made man, and I am proud of that. He was born in Patiala and crossed the border from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fawad-khan/my-father-is-pretty-much-a-self-made-man-and-i-am-proud-of-that-he/)

[Fawad Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fawad-khan/)

> [Being a Chicano in Hollywood, my experience is that you're not given credit for any sophistication... You're just kind of some guy that just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheech-marin/being-a-chicano-in-hollywood-my-experience-is-that-you-re-not-given/)

[Cheech Marin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheech-marin/)

> [My parents had irrational fears of Mexico and assumed that once you crossed the border, drug runners made you swallow a heroin balloon and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-halpern/my-parents-had-irrational-fears-of-mexico-and-assumed-that-once-you/)

[Justin Halpern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-halpern/)

> [“When your army has crossed the border, you should burn your boats and bridges, in order to make it clear to everybody that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/when-your-army-has-crossed-the-border-you-should-burn-your-boats-and/)

[Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/)

## More by Milan Kundera

> [“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-future-is-only-an-indifferent-void-no-one-cares-about-but-the/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [“From that time on they both looked forward to sleeping together. I might even say that the goal of their lovemaking was not so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/from-that-time-on-they-both-looked-forward-to-sleeping-together-i/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [“Beauty in the European sense has always had a premeditated quality to it. We've always had an aesthetic intention and a long-range plan. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/beauty-in-the-european-sense-has-always-had-a-premeditated-quality-to/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [The beauty of New York is unintentional; it arose independent of human design, like a stalagmite cavern.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-beauty-of-new-york-is-unintentional-it-arose-independent-of-human/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [Children, Never look Back!" and this meant that we must never allow the future to be weighed down by memory . for children have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/children-never-look-back-and-this-meant-that-we-must-never-allow-the/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [“Our lives may be separate, but they run in the same direction, like parallel lines.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/our-lives-may-be-separate-but-they-run-in-the-same-direction-like/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [“Having a child is to show an absolute accord with mankind. If I have a child, it's as though I'm saying: I was born…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/having-a-child-is-to-show-an-absolute-accord-with-mankind-if-i-have-a/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [Love is a battle," said Marie-Claude, still smiling. "And I plan to go on fighting. To the end." Love is a battle?" said Franz.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/love-is-a-battle-said-marie-claude-still-smiling-and-i-plan-to-go-on/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [“He remained annoyed with himself until he realized that not knowing what he wanted was actually quite natural. We can never know what to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/he-remained-annoyed-with-himself-until-he-realized-that-not-knowing/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [“Whenever I think about ancient cultures nostalgia seizes me. Perhaps this is nothing but envy of the sweet slowness of the history of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/whenever-i-think-about-ancient-cultures-nostalgia-seizes-me-perhaps/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [When we ignore the body, we are more easily victimized by it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/when-we-ignore-the-body-we-are-more-easily-victimized-by-it/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [“Do stories, apart from happening, being, have something to say? For all my skepticism, some trace of irrational superstition did survive in me, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/do-stories-apart-from-happening-being-have-something-to-say-for-all/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [“Os extremos delimitam a fronteira para além da qual a vida termina, e a paixão pelo extremismo, tanto em arte como em política, é…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/os-extremos-delimitam-a-fronteira-para-al-m-da-qual-a-vida-termina-e/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [The characters in my novels are my own unrealized possibilities. That is why I am equally fond of them all and equally horrified by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-characters-in-my-novels-are-my-own-unrealized-possibilities-that/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [Anyone whose goal is 'something higher' must expect someday to suffer vertigo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/anyone-whose-goal-is-something-higher-must-expect-someday-to-suffer/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

[Explore all 952 Milan Kundera quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

## More Books quotes

> [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/)

[Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/)

> [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/)

[Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/)

> [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/)

[Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/)

> [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/)

[Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/)

> [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/)

[Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/)

> [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/)

[Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/)

> [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/)

[Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/)

> [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/)

Christopher K. Krebs

> [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/)

[Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/)

> [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/)

[Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/)

> [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/)

[Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/)

> [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/)

[Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/)

> [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/)

Markus Herz

> [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/)

[Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/)

[Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“The characters in my novels are my own unrealized possibilities. That is why I am equally fond of them all and equally horrified by them. Each one has crossed a border that I myself have cirumvented. It is that crossed border (the border beyond which my own \"I\" ends) which attracts me most. For beyond that border begins the secret the novel asks about. The novel is not the author's confession; it is an investigation of human life in the trap the world has become. But enough. Let us return to Tomas.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Milan Kundera"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-characters-in-my-novels-are-my-own-unrealized-possibilities-that-3/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Books"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-characters-in-my-novels-are-my-own-unrealized-possibilities-that-3/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e07/milan-kundera-120_books_the-characters-in-my-novels-are-my-own-u_502820.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e07/milan-kundera-120_books_the-characters-in-my-novels-are-my-own-u_502820.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e07/milan-kundera-120_books_the-characters-in-my-novels-are-my-own-u_502820.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The characters in my novels are my own unrealized possibilities. That is why I am equally fond of them all…” — Milan Kundera",
                "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": "Milan Kundera",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“The characters in my novels are...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-characters-in-my-novels-are-my-own-unrealized-possibilities-that-3/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-characters-in-my-novels-are-my-own-unrealized-possibilities-that-3/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
