Books Quote by Tao Lin
“Novels–and memoirs–are perhaps the most comprehensive reports humans can deliver, of their private experiences, to other humans. In these terms there is only one kind of novel: a human attempt to transfer or convey some part or version of their world of noumenon to another’s world of noumenon.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: The New Yorker, “Tao Lin on Writing”, 2015
Novels and memoirs aim to convey personal inner experiences to others, acting as detailed reports of subjective reality.
In simple terms: Novels share personal experiences.
Key Takeaway
Use storytelling to bridge inner and outer worlds.
Themes
storytelling
subjectivity
communication
Mood
reflective
introspective
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- writing workshops
- personal essays
- literary criticism
- teaching creative writing
Key Concepts
phenomenology
subjective reality
narrative empathy
Questions to Reflect On
- How can writers balance personal truth with universal relevance?
- What responsibilities do authors have when representing others' inner worlds?
A Different Perspective
May overlook broader social contexts beyond personal experience.
![“They [his readers, whom he asks to be his friends] will find that I have always loved truth so passionately that I have often resorted to lying as a way of first introducing it into minds which were ignorant of its charms” (Casanova, p.34, Vol 1 Preface).” quote by Casanova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/4dc/casanova-60999_books_they-his-readers-whom-he-asks-to-be-his_110086.jpg)
