--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If there is a heaven, Jane Austen is…" description: "\"If there is a heaven, Jane Austen is sitting in a small room with Mother Teresa and Princess Diana, listening to Duran Duran, forever. If there's a hel..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aba/roddy-doyle-10269_austen_if-there-is-a-heaven-jane-austen-is-sitt_1635207.jpg" --- # If there is a heaven, Jane Austen is sitting in a small… ![“If there is a heaven, Jane Austen is sitting in a small room with Mother Teresa and Princess Diana, listening to Duran Duran, forever. If there's a hell, she's standing.” quote by Roddy Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aba/roddy-doyle-10269_austen_if-there-is-a-heaven-jane-austen-is-sitt_1635207.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aba/roddy-doyle-10269_austen_if-there-is-a-heaven-jane-austen-is-sitt_1635207.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aba/roddy-doyle-10269_austen_if-there-is-a-heaven-jane-austen-is-sitt_1635207.jpg) > “If there is a heaven, Jane Austen is sitting in a small room with Mother Teresa and Princess Diana, listening to Duran Duran, forever. If there's a hell, she's standing.” [Roddy Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-doyle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Imagines a heavenly gathering of iconic women enjoying music, contrasting with a hellish scenario. **In simple terms:** A whimsical vision of famous women in blissful harmony. Key Takeaway Celebrate diverse role models. Themes imagination celebration afterlife Mood playful nostalgic Type humorous philosophical When to use this quote - art exhibitions - music festivals - memorial events Key Concepts cultural icons music spirituality Questions to Reflect On - Which figures would you place in your own afterlife? - How does music shape our memory of icons? A Different Perspective Idealizes afterlife without addressing reality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Duran duran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duran-duran/) [Heaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heaven/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Princess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/princess/) ## Related quotes > [A lot of other bands have tried to go out there and say we've got views on this and views on that. But some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-rhodes/a-lot-of-other-bands-have-tried-to-go-out-there-and-say-we-ve-got/) [Nick Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-rhodes/) > [“Lloyd moved to the blackboard and wrote ‘Maneater, Hall and Oates’ at the bottom of a long list of songs and artists. The blackboard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darren-mckeeman/lloyd-moved-to-the-blackboard-and-wrote-maneater-hall-and-oates-at/) [Darren McKeeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darren-mckeeman/) > [I remember playing six nights at Wembley in the 80s. I partied for three of those straight, with our friends Duran Duran. Back then,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-kemp/i-remember-playing-six-nights-at-wembley-in-the-80s-i-partied-for/) [Martin Kemp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-kemp/) > [“Were the stars out when I left the house last evening? All I could remember was the couple in the Skyline listening to Duran…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/were-the-stars-out-when-i-left-the-house-last-evening-all-i-could/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [I think pop culture is the greatest subject matter out there - 'Other People's Lives,' as we wrote about on the last Duran Duran…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-rhodes/i-think-pop-culture-is-the-greatest-subject-matter-out-there-other/) [Nick Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-rhodes/) > [Both of my books, 'Love Is a Mix Tape' and 'Talking to Girls About Duran Duran,' are about how music gets tangled up with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/both-of-my-books-love-is-a-mix-tape-and-talking-to-girls-about-duran/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [I wish I'd been in Duran Duran.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hadley/i-wish-i-d-been-in-duran-duran/) [Tony Hadley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hadley/) > [I was in two Duran Duran videos. My kids are thoroughly unimpressed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tess-daly/i-was-in-two-duran-duran-videos-my-kids-are-thoroughly-unimpressed/) [Tess Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tess-daly/) > [I remember Simple Minds, Echo and the Bunnymen, Nina Hagen, Elvis Costello and Duran Duran. And the best concert I ever saw was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-carvalhal/i-remember-simple-minds-echo-and-the-bunnymen-nina-hagen-elvis/) [Carlos Carvalhal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-carvalhal/) > [A lot of groups like Duran Duran, they want to be rock stars, but they sell the most records with their looks. And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-pilatus/a-lot-of-groups-like-duran-duran-they-want-to-be-rock-stars-but-they/) [Rob Pilatus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-pilatus/) > [I loved Duran Duran's "Girls on Film" - it was really sexy and naughty and totally weird. When you're a kid watching that stuff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-barrymore/i-loved-duran-duran-s-girls-on-film-it-was-really-sexy-and-naughty/) [Drew Barrymore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-barrymore/) > [You listen to a piece of music and it will remind you of something - it might make you happy, it might make you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-rhodes/you-listen-to-a-piece-of-music-and-it-will-remind-you-of-something-it/) [Nick Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-rhodes/) > [“Don't ever call me Princess again," she said, head still resting in my shoulder. "Did I do that?" I asked. "Yes, you did." "I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/don-t-ever-call-me-princess-again-she-said-head-still-resting-in-my/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [I've tried to stay true, in my own fashion, to the ideas of The Sex Pistols, even while I was working with bands like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-temple/i-ve-tried-to-stay-true-in-my-own-fashion-to-the-ideas-of-the-sex/) [Julien Temple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-temple/) > [I'm into classic games like Donkey Kong, and also collect vintage tour t-shirts - everything from Olivia Newton-John to Duran Duran. I've got a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rosenbaum/i-m-into-classic-games-like-donkey-kong-and-also-collect-vintage-tour/) [Michael Rosenbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosenbaum/) ## More by Roddy Doyle > [“Sometimes, when you were thinking about something, trying to understand it, it opened up in your head without you expecting it to, like it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-doyle/sometimes-when-you-were-thinking-about-something-trying-to-understand/) [Roddy Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-doyle/) > [“It was frightening, though, how little time you got. You only became yourself when you were twenty-three or twenty-four. A few years later, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-doyle/it-was-frightening-though-how-little-time-you-got-you-only-became/) [Roddy Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-doyle/) > [The Irish are the niggers of Europe, lads.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-doyle/the-irish-are-the-niggers-of-europe-lads/) [Roddy Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-doyle/) > [“Terror. That was it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-doyle/terror-that-was-it/) [Roddy Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-doyle/) > [Ulysses could have done with a good editor. You know people are always putting Ulysses in the top 10 books ever written but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-doyle/ulysses-could-have-done-with-a-good-editor-you-know-people-are-always/) [Roddy Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-doyle/) > [Dreaming was only nice while it lasted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-doyle/dreaming-was-only-nice-while-it-lasted/) [Roddy Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-doyle/) > [It was a sign of growing up, when the dark made no more difference to you than the day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-doyle/it-was-a-sign-of-growing-up-when-the-dark-made-no-more-difference-to/) [Roddy Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-doyle/) > [When I started writing full time I had not long stopped being a teacher and when at last I had a full day to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-doyle/when-i-started-writing-full-time-i-had-not-long-stopped-being-a/) [Roddy Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-doyle/) > [When I was a kid, if you didn't speak Irish, you really wanted to. And you played Gaelic games and you didn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-doyle/when-i-was-a-kid-if-you-didn-t-speak-irish-you-really-wanted-to-and/) [Roddy Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-doyle/) > [I'm not recognised that much. I'm just a bald man in glasses and there's a rash of them in Dublin. It'd be different if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-doyle/i-m-not-recognised-that-much-i-m-just-a-bald-man-in-glasses-and-there/) [Roddy Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-doyle/) > [It's a big con job. We have sold the myth of Dublin as a sexy place incredibly well; because it is a dreary little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-doyle/it-s-a-big-con-job-we-have-sold-the-myth-of-dublin-as-a-sexy-place/) [Roddy Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-doyle/) > [“One day at a time, sweet Jesus. Whoever wrote that one hadn’t a clue. A day is a fuckin’ eternity”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-doyle/one-day-at-a-time-sweet-jesus-whoever-wrote-that-one-hadn-t-a-clue-a/) [Roddy Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-doyle/) > [Schools don't really allow failure and yet it's a valid part of any endeavour, not just writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-doyle/schools-don-t-really-allow-failure-and-yet-it-s-a-valid-part-of-any/) [Roddy Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-doyle/) > [My novels come from within me; they are things I feel I want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-doyle/my-novels-come-from-within-me-they-are-things-i-feel-i-want-to-do/) [Roddy Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-doyle/) > [Most working days I can be at my desk for nine hours a day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-doyle/most-working-days-i-can-be-at-my-desk-for-nine-hours-a-day/) [Roddy Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-doyle/) [Explore all 65 Roddy Doyle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-doyle/) ## More Austen quotes > [The difficulty with poetry is that it doesn't have the life that Shakespeare or Jane Austen have beyond the page. You can't make a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/the-difficulty-with-poetry-is-that-it-doesn-t-have-the-life-that/) [Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/) > [Look at Jane Austen. Her characters derive in a reasonably straight line from fairy tales.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-davies/look-at-jane-austen-her-characters-derive-in-a-reasonably-straight/) [Andrew Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-davies/) > [“The celestial brightness of Pride and Prejudice is unequalled even in Jane Austen's other work; after a life of much disappointment and grief, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-jenkins/the-celestial-brightness-of-pride-and-prejudice-is-unequalled-even-in/) [Elizabeth Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-jenkins/) > [It has been suggested that Tiptree is female, a theory that I find absurd, for there is to me something ineluctably masculine about Tiptree’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-silverberg/it-has-been-suggested-that-tiptree-is-female-a-theory-that-i-find/) [Robert Silverberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-silverberg/) > [Had Elizabeth Bennet known how wildly Darcy's heart beat for her, 'Pride and Prejudice' would barely have made it into a short story. Their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariella-frostrup/had-elizabeth-bennet-known-how-wildly-darcy-s-heart-beat-for-her/) [Mariella Frostrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariella-frostrup/) > [ “\[Jane\] Austen was not a novelist for nothing: she knew that our stories are what make us human, and that listening to someone else's… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-deresiewicz/jane-austen-was-not-a-novelist-for-nothing-she-knew-that-our-stories/) [William Deresiewicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-deresiewicz/) > [I'm kind of a mash-up of taste - Graham Greene and Jane Austen; W.G. Sebald and Alice Munro.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-waldman/i-m-kind-of-a-mash-up-of-taste-graham-greene-and-jane-austen-w-g/) [Amy Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-waldman/) > [I'm sure I've been influenced by every fine writer I've ever read, from Dickens and Austen to Auden and Jane Hirshfield. And also, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/i-m-sure-i-ve-been-influenced-by-every-fine-writer-i-ve-ever-read/) [Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/) > [“You know, somewhere a Jane Austen angel just lost her wings over you saying that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nichole-van/you-know-somewhere-a-jane-austen-angel-just-lost-her-wings-over-you/) Nichole Van > [Great books are readable anyway. Dickens is readable. Jane Austen is readable. John Updike's readable. Hawthorne's readable. It's a meaningless term. You have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/great-books-are-readable-anyway-dickens-is-readable-jane-austen-is/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) > [“Gratitude, not merely for having once loved her, but for loving her still well enough, to forgive all the petulance and acrimony of her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/gratitude-not-merely-for-having-once-loved-her-but-for-loving-her/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [I grew up on Jane Austen novels and was a massive literature fanatic when I was a kid - I read everything I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-king/i-grew-up-on-jane-austen-novels-and-was-a-massive-literature-fanatic/) [Georgia King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-king/) > [“I don't care a whit for Society. I think people should only marry someone who can offer them some bit of affection. I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-st-george/i-don-t-care-a-whit-for-society-i-think-people-should-only-marry/) Harper St. George > [“Does everybody know everything in this town!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaishnavi-nair-k/does-everybody-know-everything-in-this-town/) [Vaishnavi Nair K](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaishnavi-nair-k/) > [“People don't say what they mean very often. You have to read between the lines of their behavior, of what they say, to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-c-frank/people-don-t-say-what-they-mean-very-often-you-have-to-read-between/) [M.C. Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-c-frank/) Browse all 292 Austen quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If there is a heaven, Jane Austen is sitting in a small room with Mother Teresa and Princess Diana, listening to Duran Duran, forever. 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