--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Novels are make-believe and play for…" description: "\"Novels are make-believe and play for adults.\" — Mohsin Hamid" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c47/mohsin-hamid-798_adults_novels-are-make-believe-and-play-for-adu_719977.jpg" --- # Novels are make-believe and play for adults. ![“Novels are make-believe and play for adults.” quote by Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c47/mohsin-hamid-798_adults_novels-are-make-believe-and-play-for-adu_719977.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c47/mohsin-hamid-798_adults_novels-are-make-believe-and-play-for-adu_719977.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c47/mohsin-hamid-798_adults_novels-are-make-believe-and-play-for-adu_719977.jpg) > “Novels are make-believe and play for adults.” [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Fiction serves as adult play, allowing imagination beyond reality. **In simple terms:** Novels are adult make‑believe. Key Takeaway Value storytelling as a mature pastime. Themes imagination literature playfulness Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - book clubs - creative writing workshops - relaxation - education Key Concepts fiction adult escapism narrative therapy Questions to Reflect On - Why do adults need make‑believe? - How does fiction shape adult identity? A Different Perspective Some may view adult fiction as frivolous. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adults](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adults/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Make believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-believe/) [Novels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novels/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) ## Related quotes > [People who actually tell stories, meaning people who write novels and make feature films, don't see themselves as storytellers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-sagmeister/people-who-actually-tell-stories-meaning-people-who-write-novels-and/) [Stefan Sagmeister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-sagmeister/) > [In the area we live, there's a large show of children who run from one house to another house to another house. That's lovely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-mccrory/in-the-area-we-live-there-s-a-large-show-of-children-who-run-from-one/) [Helen McCrory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-mccrory/) > [In everything was the spirit of children's play - not the rule-ridden, time-killing play of adults that is a preparation for death, but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-lewis/in-everything-was-the-spirit-of-children-s-play-not-the-rule-ridden/) [Sinclair Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-lewis/) > [Why do we write novels or make television about real things? It's the human condition and human suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ioan-gruffudd/why-do-we-write-novels-or-make-television-about-real-things-it-s-the/) [Ioan Gruffudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ioan-gruffudd/) > [I review novels to make money, because it is easier for a sluggard to write an article a fortnight than a book a year,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/i-review-novels-to-make-money-because-it-is-easier-for-a-sluggard-to-2/) [Cyril Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-connolly/) > [Well-written novels make you more empathetic towards other people. You can identify with someone who isn't you. You can change your identity. A 14-year-old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olga-tokarczuk/well-written-novels-make-you-more-empathetic-towards-other-people-you/) [Olga Tokarczuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olga-tokarczuk/) > [My novels tend to take a long time to become exactly what they're going to be. They're fluid messes until I've done a ton…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-cooper/my-novels-tend-to-take-a-long-time-to-become-exactly-what-they-re/) [Dennis Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-cooper/) > [“Virginia Woolf helps. Her novels make mine possible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/virginia-woolf-helps-her-novels-make-mine-possible/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [I review novels to make money, because it is easier for a sluggard to write an article a fortnight than a book a year,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/i-review-novels-to-make-money-because-it-is-easier-for-a-sluggard-to/) [Cyril Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-connolly/) > [What I try to do with any of my stories, any of my novels, is make them feel very original.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/what-i-try-to-do-with-any-of-my-stories-any-of-my-novels-is-make-them/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [“Fiction in general holds little interest for me. Novels, in particular, arouse more suspicion than intrigue. It truly baffles me that any practitioner of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-garfat-pratt/fiction-in-general-holds-little-interest-for-me-novels-in-particular/) [Dan Garfat-Pratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-garfat-pratt/) > [Only in novels can we take another human being into our head and create something jointly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/only-in-novels-can-we-take-another-human-being-into-our-head-and/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [Novels function and the power of novels function because of their stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/novels-function-and-the-power-of-novels-function-because-of-their/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [I think all children love to dress up and play make believe. It's just that I never stopped.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-bonnar/i-think-all-children-love-to-dress-up-and-play-make-believe-it-s-just/) [Mark Bonnar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-bonnar/) > [I'm a geek - I read fantasy novels, I play 'World of Warcraft,' I'm a massive gamer, I have 'Star Trek' outfits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kazinsky/i-m-a-geek-i-read-fantasy-novels-i-play-world-of-warcraft-i-m-a/) [Robert Kazinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kazinsky/) ## More by Mohsin Hamid > [Pakistan now is like a horror film franchise. You know, it's 'Friday the 13th, Episode 63: The Terrorist from Pakistan.' And each time we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/pakistan-now-is-like-a-horror-film-franchise-you-know-it-s-friday-the/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [A beard is something that is almost like a mirror to the viewer. When someone sees you wearing a beard, they're seeing something in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/a-beard-is-something-that-is-almost-like-a-mirror-to-the-viewer-when/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [And also I think the rise of other, you could say, destinations for international jihadis mean that Pakistan isn't necessarily the place where people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/and-also-i-think-the-rise-of-other-you-could-say-destinations-for/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [“I met her eyes, and for the first time I perceived that there was something broken behind them, like a tiny crack in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/i-met-her-eyes-and-for-the-first-time-i-perceived-that-there-was/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [“muscularity, made more pronounced by her gauntness, and the near-inanimate”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/muscularity-made-more-pronounced-by-her-gauntness-and-the-near/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [“In this group, everyone was foreign, and so, in a sense, no one was.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/in-this-group-everyone-was-foreign-and-so-in-a-sense-no-one-was/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [“It seemed to me then - and to be honest, sir, seems to me still - that America was engaged only in posturing. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/it-seemed-to-me-then-and-to-be-honest-sir-seems-to-me-still-that/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [When the uncertain future becomes the past, the past in turn becomes uncertain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/when-the-uncertain-future-becomes-the-past-the-past-in-turn-becomes/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [When the machine of a human being is turned on, it seems to produce a protagonist, just as a television produces an image.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/when-the-machine-of-a-human-being-is-turned-on-it-seems-to-produce-a/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [I think fiction allows you to inhabit new domains and it's you, the reader living in that domain for a few days that results…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/i-think-fiction-allows-you-to-inhabit-new-domains-and-it-s-you-the/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [“Often, during my stay in your country, such comparisons troubled me. In fact, they did more than trouble me: they made me resentful. Four…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/often-during-my-stay-in-your-country-such-comparisons-troubled-me-in/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [Americans need to educate themselves, from elementary school onward, about what their country has done abroad. And they need to play a more active…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/americans-need-to-educate-themselves-from-elementary-school-onward/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [I'm not a representative of Pakistan; I'm just an example that Pakistanis are different from each other. I believe it in my fiction and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/i-m-not-a-representative-of-pakistan-i-m-just-an-example-that/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [“end of a couple is like a death, and the notion of death, of temporariness, can remind us of the value of things,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/end-of-a-couple-is-like-a-death-and-the-notion-of-death-of/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [NYC doesn't have a big sign saying "You must love diversity and the rights of all people." And that's not what makes you love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/nyc-doesn-t-have-a-big-sign-saying-you-must-love-diversity-and-the/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) [Explore all 361 Mohsin Hamid quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) ## More Adults 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/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [Plainly, the environment must be a living one, directed by a higher intelligence, arranged by an adult who is prepared for his mission.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/plainly-the-environment-must-be-a-living-one-directed-by-a-higher/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [Almost everywhere we find . . . the use of various coercive measures, to rid ourselves as quickly as possible of the child withinus--i.e.,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/almost-everywhere-we-find-the-use-of-various-coercive-measures-to-rid/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) > [Education, for most people, means trying to lead the child to resemble the typical adult of his society . . . but for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-piaget/education-for-most-people-means-trying-to-lead-the-child-to-resemble/) [Jean Piaget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-piaget/) > [I do not believe in public shaming. I do believe that young adults go to college to learn things, and that this process will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/i-do-not-believe-in-public-shaming-i-do-believe-that-young-adults-go/) [Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/) > [The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance”: “The differences between expert performers and normal adults are not immutable, that is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-anders-ericsson/the-role-of-deliberate-practice-in-the-acquisition-of-expert/) K. Anders Ericsson > [Part of life is doing stuff that you don't want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/one-who-does-not-wish-to-be-named/part-of-life-is-doing-stuff-that-you-don-t-want-to-do/) One Who Does Not Wish To Be Named > [ He \[an earnest young reporter\] seemed to share the view of many intelligent, well-educated, well-meaning people that, while adult literature may aim to be… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-paterson/he-an-earnest-young-reporter-seemed-to-share-the-view-of-many/) [Katherine Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-paterson/) > [Kids, if anything, are harder to write for because they are a more discerning audience. They will not stay with you if you go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/kids-if-anything-are-harder-to-write-for-because-they-are-a-more/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [On the one hand, we had great filmic spectacles that brought in big audiences, adults as well as primary and secondary school students. On…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrzej-wajda/on-the-one-hand-we-had-great-filmic-spectacles-that-brought-in-big/) [Andrzej Wajda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrzej-wajda/) > [It's hard to change adults, and it's hard to change it from a political position or a perceived political position.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/it-s-hard-to-change-adults-and-it-s-hard-to-change-it-from-a/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [When I was a child at sixteen, I was just a child. All sixteen year-olds are just children. As much as we like them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-abagnale/when-i-was-a-child-at-sixteen-i-was-just-a-child-all-sixteen-year/) [Frank Abagnale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-abagnale/) [Browse all 3,113 Adults quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adults/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Novels are make-believe and play for adults.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mohsin Hamid" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/novels-are-make-believe-and-play-for-adults/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Adults" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/novels-are-make-believe-and-play-for-adults/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c47/mohsin-hamid-798_adults_novels-are-make-believe-and-play-for-adu_719977.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c47/mohsin-hamid-798_adults_novels-are-make-believe-and-play-for-adu_719977.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c47/mohsin-hamid-798_adults_novels-are-make-believe-and-play-for-adu_719977.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Novels are make-believe and play for adults.” — Mohsin Hamid", "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": "Mohsin Hamid", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Novels are make-believe and play for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/novels-are-make-believe-and-play-for-adults/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/novels-are-make-believe-and-play-for-adults/#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 } } ] } ```