Extraordinary Quote by Patrick Ness
““Yes", Kumiko said, seriously. "Exactly that. The extraordinary happens all the time. So much, we can't take it. Life and happiness and heartache and love. If we couldn't put it in story - " "And explain it -" "No!" she said, suddenly sharp. "Not explain. Stories do not explain. They seem to, but all they provide is a starting point. The story never ends at the end. There is always after. And even within itself, even by saying that this version is the right one, it suggests other versions, versions that exist in parallel. No, story is not an explanation, it is a net, a net through which the truth flows. The net catches some of the truth, but not all, never all, only enough so that we can live with the extraordinary without it killing us." She sagged a little, as if exhausted by this speech. "As it surely, surely would.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: A Monster Calls, 2011
Stories capture fragments of truth, offering a framework rather than full explanations, allowing life’s complexity to be lived.
In simple terms: Stories give a glimpse of truth.
Key Takeaway
Accept stories as guides, not final answers.
Themes
narrative
truth
complexity
Mood
thoughtful
introspective
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- personal growth
- writing
- therapy
- education
Key Concepts
philosophy
literature
Questions to Reflect On
- What truths do you seek beyond the story?
- How do you balance narrative with reality?
A Different Perspective
Stories can oversimplify or mislead.
![“Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this [step by step, from humans to apes to monkeys to lemurs] - leading us insensibly from the crown and summit of the animal creation down to creatures, from which there is but a step, as it seems, to the…” quote by Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f0b/thomas-huxley-1183_animal_perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us_3051.jpg)
