--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was pretty dead set against ever…" description: "\"I was pretty dead set against ever writing an academic novel. It's always been my view that there are already more than enough academic novels and that..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26d/richard-russo-1691_academic_i-was-pretty-dead-set-against-ever-writi_2203284.jpg" --- # I was pretty dead set against ever writing an academic… ![“I was pretty dead set against ever writing an academic novel. It's always been my view that there are already more than enough academic novels and that most of them aren't any good. Most of them are self-conscious and bitter, the work of people who want to settle grudges.” quote by Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26d/richard-russo-1691_academic_i-was-pretty-dead-set-against-ever-writi_2203284.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26d/richard-russo-1691_academic_i-was-pretty-dead-set-against-ever-writi_2203284.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26d/richard-russo-1691_academic_i-was-pretty-dead-set-against-ever-writi_2203284.jpg) > “I was pretty dead set against ever writing an academic novel. It's always been my view that there are already more than enough academic novels and that most of them aren't any good. Most of them are self-conscious and bitter, the work of people who want to settle grudges.” [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Academic novels are oversaturated and often driven by personal grievances, limiting their artistic value and broader appeal. **In simple terms:** Academic novels are overdone and self‑absorbed. Key Takeaway Seek fresh, universal stories over niche grievances. Themes literature academia authenticity creative integrity Mood critical analytical Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - publishing decisions - creative writing workshops - reader expectations - literary criticism Key Concepts literary market authorial intent genre fatigue Questions to Reflect On - What makes an academic novel compelling? - How can writers avoid self‑indulgence? A Different Perspective Some academic novels succeed despite criticism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Academic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/academic/) [Academic Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/academic-novel-4807074/) [Academic Novels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/academic-novels-4848575/) [Bitter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bitter/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Conscious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscious/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Grudge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grudge/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Novels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novels/) [Novels Aren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novels-aren-1626406/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self conscious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-conscious/) [Settling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/settling/) [Views](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/views/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Academic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-academic-1918362/) ## Related quotes > [Movies have to handle time very efficiently. They're about stringing scenes together in the present. Novels aren't necessarily about that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/movies-have-to-handle-time-very-efficiently-they-re-about-stringing/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [In 'Pictures from an Institution,' Randall Jarrell was able to transcend the academic novel by simply ignoring it, writing a comedy with no plot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathleen-schine/in-pictures-from-an-institution-randall-jarrell-was-able-to-transcend/) [Cathleen Schine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathleen-schine/) > [I did a lot of my writing as though I was an academic, doing some piece of research as perfectly as possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-s-byatt-2/i-did-a-lot-of-my-writing-as-though-i-was-an-academic-doing-some/) [A. S. Byatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-s-byatt-2/) > [I talk about folding it in often with Althea, my girlfriend. She's getting her doctoral degree at Berkeley and she talks about how even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-beatty/i-talk-about-folding-it-in-often-with-althea-my-girlfriend-she-s/) [Paul Beatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-beatty/) > [It took me a couple of years after I got out of Berkeley before I dared to start writing. That academic mind-set - which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/it-took-me-a-couple-of-years-after-i-got-out-of-berkeley-before-i/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [You can't write a novel all at once, any more than you can swallow a whale in one gulp. You do have to break…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/you-can-t-write-a-novel-all-at-once-any-more-than-you-can-swallow-a/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [My novels aren't really generated by a single conceptual spark; it's more a process of many different elements that come together unexpectedly over a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/my-novels-aren-t-really-generated-by-a-single-conceptual-spark-it-s/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [Novels aren’t just happy escapes; they are slivers of people’s souls, nailed to the pages, dripping ink from veins of wood pulp. Reading the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/novels-aren-t-just-happy-escapes-they-are-slivers-of-people-s-souls/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [Novels aren't pedagogical instruments, or instructions in law or physics or any other discipline. A novel has to be an emotional experience, a trip…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/novels-aren-t-pedagogical-instruments-or-instructions-in-law-or/) [Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/) > [“Like the roller coaster of life...novels aren't fun without ups and downs and even an occasional loop.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmen-desousa/like-the-roller-coaster-of-life-novels-aren-t-fun-without-ups-and/) [Carmen DeSousa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmen-desousa/) > [This topic of judging others could actually be taught in a two-word sermon. When it comes to hating, gossiping, ignoring, ridiculing, holding grudges, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/this-topic-of-judging-others-could-actually-be-taught-in-a-two-word/) [Dieter F. Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/) > [Pastime with good company I love and shall, until I die. Grudge who list, but none deny! So God be pleased, thus live will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-viii-of-england/pastime-with-good-company-i-love-and-shall-until-i-die-grudge-who/) [Henry VIII of England](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-viii-of-england/) > [“If you hold a grudge, you doubt the Judge.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/if-you-hold-a-grudge-you-doubt-the-judge/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [I don't have any regrets or hold any grudge against anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cooper-kupp/i-don-t-have-any-regrets-or-hold-any-grudge-against-anyone/) [Cooper Kupp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cooper-kupp/) > [People shouldn't hold grudges, it only makes things worse. Forgive and forget people, life will be much easier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-shouldn-t-hold-grudges-it-only-makes-things-worse-forgive-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Richard Russo > [“The problem with the contemplative life was that there was no end to contemplation, no fixed time limit after which thought had to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/the-problem-with-the-contemplative-life-was-that-there-was-no-end-to/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“That, very simply, was what adulthood must be all about—acquiring the skill to bury things more deeply. Out of sight and, whenever possible, out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/that-very-simply-was-what-adulthood-must-be-all-about-acquiring-the/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“Miles couldn't help admiring women for their ability to dismiss the evidence of their senses. If that's what explained it. If it wasn't simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/miles-couldn-t-help-admiring-women-for-their-ability-to-dismiss-the/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [That afternoon I came to understand that one of the deepest purposes of intellectual sophistication is to provide distance between us and our most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/that-afternoon-i-came-to-understand-that-one-of-the-deepest-purposes/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“Lucy, who apparently had no idea his girlfriend's father held him in such low regard, agreed with Noonan that he was pushing the envelope,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/lucy-who-apparently-had-no-idea-his-girlfriend-s-father-held-him-in/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [Movies have to handle time very efficiently. They're about stringing scenes together in the present. Novels aren't necessarily about that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/movies-have-to-handle-time-very-efficiently-they-re-about-stringing/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [When authors who write literary fiction begin to write screenplays, everybody assumes that's the end. Here's another who's never going to write well again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/when-authors-who-write-literary-fiction-begin-to-write-screenplays/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“There was something about spending money they didn't really have that made him optimistic about more coming in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/there-was-something-about-spending-money-they-didn-t-really-have-that/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [Some authors have a very hard time understanding that in order to be faithful to the spirit of the book, it's almost always impossible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/some-authors-have-a-very-hard-time-understanding-that-in-order-to-be/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [HBO is really famous for hiring good people and staying out of their way until they ask for help, or need it. And that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/hbo-is-really-famous-for-hiring-good-people-and-staying-out-of-their/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [I don't think there's a shortage of material in the world. Or in my head. I just pray for continued good health, because I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-shortage-of-material-in-the-world-or-in-my/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [Where was the middle ground between a sense of adventure and just plain sense?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/where-was-the-middle-ground-between-a-sense-of-adventure-and-just/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“Non basta una vita "One life isn't enough”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/non-basta-una-vita-one-life-isn-t-enough/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“... Mr. Purty has cheered me up. The task he has chosen for himself, of wooing my mother with a bright red pickup truck,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/mr-purty-has-cheered-me-up-the-task-he-has-chosen-for-himself-of/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“So what? Few men, Miles reflected, lived so comfortably within the confines of a two.word personal philosophy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/so-what-few-men-miles-reflected-lived-so-comfortably-within-the/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) [Explore all 214 Richard Russo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) ## More Academic quotes > [When I went to college, as much as my parents emphasized academic achievement, they emphasized marriage even more. 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Everett Koop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-everett-koop/) > [Marx, however imperfectly he worked out the details, set himself the task of discovering the law of motion of capitalism, and if there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-robinson/marx-however-imperfectly-he-worked-out-the-details-set-himself-the/) [Joan Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-robinson/) > [Now know I well what people sought formerly above all else when they sought Teachers of virtue. Good sleep they sought for themselves, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/now-know-i-well-what-people-sought-formerly-above-all-else-when-they/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Because my graduate academic training at law school was not one that included most of the intellectual traditions I find useful for understanding the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-spade/because-my-graduate-academic-training-at-law-school-was-not-one-that/) [Dean Spade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-spade/) > [An academic discipline, or any other semiotic domain, for that matter, is not primarily content, in the sense of facts and principles. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-paul-gee/an-academic-discipline-or-any-other-semiotic-domain-for-that-matter/) [James Paul Gee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-paul-gee/) > [“In the end, ethical interpretation of the Bible means to think critically about how our practices of textual engagement might help us to become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-brueggemann/in-the-end-ethical-interpretation-of-the-bible-means-to-think/) [Walter Brueggemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-brueggemann/) > [Perhaps art criticism cannot be reformed in a logical sense because it was never well-formed in the first place. Art criticism has long been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-elkins/perhaps-art-criticism-cannot-be-reformed-in-a-logical-sense-because/) [James Elkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-elkins/) > [And I'm the first one to tell people to break the rules. 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I am a novelist who happens to be quite good academically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-s-byatt-2/i-am-not-an-academic-who-happens-to-have-written-a-novel-i-am-a/) [A. S. Byatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-s-byatt-2/) [Browse all 958 Academic quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/academic/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I was pretty dead set against ever writing an academic novel. It's always been my view that there are already more than enough academic novels and that most of them aren't any good. 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