--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What literature brings to our times is…" description: "\"What literature brings to our times is always the fact that literature refuses to bring any simple or easy answers.\" — Sjon" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c5/sjon-22692_answers_what-literature-brings-to-our-times-is-a_2476539.jpg" --- # What literature brings to our times is always the fact… ![“What literature brings to our times is always the fact that literature refuses to bring any simple or easy answers.” quote by Sjon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c5/sjon-22692_answers_what-literature-brings-to-our-times-is-a_2476539.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c5/sjon-22692_answers_what-literature-brings-to-our-times-is-a_2476539.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c5/sjon-22692_answers_what-literature-brings-to-our-times-is-a_2476539.jpg) > “What literature brings to our times is always the fact that literature refuses to bring any simple or easy answers.” [Sjon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sjon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Literature's value lies in its refusal to give easy answers, forcing readers to grapple with complexity. **In simple terms:** Literature avoids simple answers, prompting deep thought. Key Takeaway Embrace complexity in reading. Themes complexity truth challenge Mood thoughtful provocative Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - reading novels - studying philosophy - debating ideas Key Concepts philosophy critical thinking interpretation Questions to Reflect On - Why do we seek easy answers? - How does ambiguity enrich understanding? A Different Perspective Some may find it frustrating. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Easy answers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easy-answers/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [The world of literature has everything in it, and it refuses to leave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/the-world-of-literature-has-everything-in-it-and-it-refuses-to-leave-2/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) > [“History gives us the facts, sort of, but from literary works we can learn what the past smelled like, sounded like, and felt like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-herring/history-gives-us-the-facts-sort-of-but-from-literary-works-we-can/) Scott Herring > [I believe that prizes are useful things for the disciplines, whether we are talking about chemistry or we're talking... It motivates, it, you know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wole-soyinka/i-believe-that-prizes-are-useful-things-for-the-disciplines-whether/) [Wole Soyinka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wole-soyinka/) > [“The...act of surrender—or devotion, as the case may be—was, to him, a kind of lifeline for those who sought a quick answer and didn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashim-shanker/the-act-of-surrender-or-devotion-as-the-case-may-be-was-to-him-a-kind/) [Ashim Shanker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashim-shanker/) > [Easy answers are never really useful ones, so hopefully we're not trying to peddle easy answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-frost/easy-answers-are-never-really-useful-ones-so-hopefully-we-re-not/) [Mark Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-frost/) > [Perhaps there is a simple answer -- not an easy answer -- but simple: If you and I have the courage to tell our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/perhaps-there-is-a-simple-answer-not-an-easy-answer-but-simple-if-you/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [We're too smart to know there aren't easy answers. But we're not dumb enough to accept that there aren't better answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-romney/we-re-too-smart-to-know-there-aren-t-easy-answers-but-we-re-not-dumb/) [Ann Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-romney/) > [We see that it is not the task of Christianity to provide easy answers to every question, but to make us progressively aware of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kallistos-ware/we-see-that-it-is-not-the-task-of-christianity-to-provide-easy/) [Kallistos Ware](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kallistos-ware/) > [There are consequences to our insatiable demands for energy and there are no easy answers for how to capture that energy safely. But even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivy-meeropol/there-are-consequences-to-our-insatiable-demands-for-energy-and-there/) Ivy Meeropol > [In seeking the help of the Congress and our countrymen, I pledged no easy answers. I pledged, and asked, only toil and dedication. 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Easy answers got to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacia-kane/and-what-was-the-point-of-an-easy-answer-like-that-where-did-it-lead/) [Stacia Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacia-kane/) > [The way I challenge myself is by writing something that really engages me, that doesn't have an easy answer, and isn't always an easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/the-way-i-challenge-myself-is-by-writing-something-that-really/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) ## More by Sjon > [I do quite extensive research for most of my novels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sjon/i-do-quite-extensive-research-for-most-of-my-novels/) [Sjon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sjon/) > [All authors secretly hope that their works will be read in 100 years' time and 200 years, and that they will somehow survive into the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sjon/all-authors-secretly-hope-that-their-works-will-be-read-in-100-years/) [Sjon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sjon/) > [ \[Bob Dylan\] builds his lyrics, of course, from personal experience, but it's also a literary work. He draws heavily on his knowledge of American… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sjon/bob-dylan-builds-his-lyrics-of-course-from-personal-experience-but-it/) [Sjon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sjon/) > [One thing for sure is it will be written in the Icelandic language. All of my literary work is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sjon/one-thing-for-sure-is-it-will-be-written-in-the-icelandic-language/) [Sjon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sjon/) > [Much of my time is taken up by reading, researching and trying out ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sjon/much-of-my-time-is-taken-up-by-reading-researching-and-trying-out/) [Sjon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sjon/) > [Politics enter dangerous ground, when people proclaim there are simple answers for our complex world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sjon/politics-enter-dangerous-ground-when-people-proclaim-there-are-simple/) [Sjon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sjon/) > [I will just take the chance that the language will still be relevant in 100 years, which is something we cannot take for granted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sjon/i-will-just-take-the-chance-that-the-language-will-still-be-relevant/) [Sjon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sjon/) > [Bjork is one of my oldest friends so we share the friendship and common roots. That is what we build on when we work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sjon/bjork-is-one-of-my-oldest-friends-so-we-share-the-friendship-and/) [Sjon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sjon/) > [“I felt the heat of the animosity they bear towards me, the vindictive nature that drives a man to destroy his neighbour in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sjon/i-felt-the-heat-of-the-animosity-they-bear-towards-me-the-vindictive/) [Sjón](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sjon/) > [I have to face questions like, "Do I simply write the best text I possibly can? Do I specifically engage with contemporary issues? 'Do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sjon/i-have-to-face-questions-like-do-i-simply-write-the-best-text-i/) [Sjon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sjon/) > [I usually leave Reykavik for two to three weeks to go to the South Coast of Iceland where I have a small fisherman's hut…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sjon/i-usually-leave-reykavik-for-two-to-three-weeks-to-go-to-the-south/) [Sjon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sjon/) > [I have seen the universe! It is made of poems!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sjon/i-have-seen-the-universe-it-is-made-of-poems/) [Sjon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sjon/) > [Paul Beatty for "The Sellout" sounds like a relevant story for our times. It's playful, uses deep thought and seems to be taking advantage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sjon/paul-beatty-for-the-sellout-sounds-like-a-relevant-story-for-our/) [Sjon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sjon/) > [ The option is always on the table. When we \[with Bjork\] were starting as creative kids in the Eighties, we found each other. I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sjon/the-option-is-always-on-the-table-when-we-with-bjork-were-starting-as/) [Sjon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sjon/) > [I'm not one of those writers who writes everyday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sjon/i-m-not-one-of-those-writers-who-writes-everyday/) [Sjon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sjon/) [Explore all 26 Sjon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sjon/) ## More Answers quotes > [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. 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It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [There is a comfort in rituals, and rituals provide a framework for stability when you are trying to find answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-norville/there-is-a-comfort-in-rituals-and-rituals-provide-a-framework-for/) [Deborah Norville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-norville/) > [A religious person answers to God, not to the elected or non-elected official.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/a-religious-person-answers-to-god-not-to-the-elected-or-non-elected/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [Instead of asking a girl how she feels, try looking through her recently listened to songs. The lyrics are the answer to all your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/instead-of-asking-a-girl-how-she-feels-try-looking-through-her/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For someone to ask 'Who did you play for' and to be able to answer a single name 'Liverpool' that would be brilliant...I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-carragher/for-someone-to-ask-who-did-you-play-for-and-to-be-able-to-answer-a/) [Jamie Carragher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-carragher/) > [When the first Superman movie came out I was frequently asked "What is a hero?" ...My answer was that a hero is someone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/when-the-first-superman-movie-came-out-i-was-frequently-asked-what-is/) [Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/) > [Enjoying life isn't about finding the answers, but living the questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-margolis/enjoying-life-isn-t-about-finding-the-answers-but-living-the-questions/) [Sue Margolis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-margolis/) Browse all 7,843 Answers quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What literature brings to our times is always the fact that literature refuses to bring any simple or easy answers.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sjon" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sjon/what-literature-brings-to-our-times-is-always-the-fact-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Answers" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sjon/what-literature-brings-to-our-times-is-always-the-fact-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c5/sjon-22692_answers_what-literature-brings-to-our-times-is-a_2476539.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c5/sjon-22692_answers_what-literature-brings-to-our-times-is-a_2476539.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c5/sjon-22692_answers_what-literature-brings-to-our-times-is-a_2476539.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What literature brings to our times is always the fact that literature refuses to bring any simple or easy…” — Sjon", "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": "Sjon", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sjon/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "What literature brings to our times...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sjon/what-literature-brings-to-our-times-is-always-the-fact-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sjon/what-literature-brings-to-our-times-is-always-the-fact-that/#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 } } ] } ```