Biographers Quote by Virginia Woolf
““Would that we might spare the reader what is to come and say to him in so many words, Orlando died and was buried. But here, alas, Truth, Candour, and Honesty, the austere Gods, who keep watch and ward by the inkpot of the biographer, cry No!””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Orlando, Virginia Woolf, 1928
The narrator laments revealing future events, urging honesty while acknowledging the biographer’s duty to truth.
In simple terms: The writer wants to be honest but fears spoiling the story.
Key Takeaway
Balance truthfulness with narrative intrigue.
Themes
honesty
storytelling
authorial duty
truth
narrative control
Mood
reflective
thoughtful
critical
Type
literary
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- writing a biography
- crafting a novel
- editing memoirs
- journalistic reporting
Key Concepts
literary ethics
authorial voice
reader expectation
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you decide what to reveal?
- What is the cost of withholding truth?
A Different Perspective
Too much disclosure can ruin suspense and reader engagement.
![“If we believe that he [Jesus Christ]really countenanced the follies, the falsehoods, and the charlatanisms, which his biographers [writers of the New Testament]father upon him, and admit the misconstructions, interpolations, and theorizations of the fathers of the early and the fanatics of the…” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ba1/thomas-jefferson-43_age_if-we-believe-that-he-jesus-christ-reall_277925.jpg)
