--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Somehow, in the novel format, I don't…" description: "\"Somehow, in the novel format, I don't really like to do upfront, ideological discussion. In my heart, literature remains a poetic and ambiguous medium...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f19/xiaolu-guo-17410_ambiguous_somehow-in-the-novel-format-i-don-t-real_67453.png" --- # Somehow, in the novel format, I don't really like to do… ![“Somehow, in the novel format, I don't really like to do upfront, ideological discussion. In my heart, literature remains a poetic and ambiguous medium. On the other hand, I trained as a documentary filmmaker in film school, so my films very much reflect reality and socio-political problems…” quote by Xiaolu Guo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f19/xiaolu-guo-17410_ambiguous_somehow-in-the-novel-format-i-don-t-real_67453.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f19/xiaolu-guo-17410_ambiguous_somehow-in-the-novel-format-i-don-t-real_67453.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f19/xiaolu-guo-17410_ambiguous_somehow-in-the-novel-format-i-don-t-real_67453.png) > “Somehow, in the novel format, I don't really like to do upfront, ideological discussion. In my heart, literature remains a poetic and ambiguous medium. On the other hand, I trained as a documentary filmmaker in film school, so my films very much reflect reality and socio-political problems. They're less subtle I would say.” [Xiaolu Guo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xiaolu-guo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author distinguishes between the poetic ambiguity of novels and the direct, issue‑driven nature of documentary film, preferring subtlety in writing but clarity in cinema. **In simple terms:** Contrast between literary subtlety and documentary realism. Key Takeaway Different media demand different expressive strategies. Themes artistic medium genre contrast author vs. documentary subjectivity political engagement Mood reflective analytical thoughtful Type personal statement creative process insight medium comparison When to use this quote - writing a novel - making a documentary - teaching film studies - discussing literary theory - presenting at a film festival Key Concepts narrative voice visual realism ideological framing medium constraints Practical Applications - Choosing a medium that matches the intended message - Balancing artistic nuance with factual urgency Questions to Reflect On - How does medium shape the way a story is told? - When should a creator prioritize subtlety over directness? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ambiguous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambiguous/) [Ambiguous Medium](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambiguous-medium-894901/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Discussion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discussion/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Filmmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/filmmaker/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Ideological](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideological/) [Ideological Discussion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideological-discussion-894899/) [Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature/) [My heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-heart/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Novel Format](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel-format-894900/) [Poetic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetic/) [Poetic Ambiguous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetic-ambiguous-894902/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) ## Related quotes > [My goal with The Adventures of Captain Underpants was to invent a style which was almost identical to that of a picture book -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dav-pilkey/my-goal-with-the-adventures-of-captain-underpants-was-to-invent-a/) [Dav Pilkey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dav-pilkey/) > [Humor is really one of the hardest things to define, very hard. 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Or rather, we should say, it is a core feature of our mathematical descriptions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-wertheim/wave-particle-duality-is-a-core-feature-of-our-world-or-rather-we/) [Margaret Wertheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-wertheim/) > [Words are such gross machinery, so primitive and ambiguous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/words-are-such-gross-machinery-so-primitive-and-ambiguous/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [My drawings inspire, and are not to be defined. They place us, as does music, in the ambiguous realm of the undetermined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/odilon-redon/my-drawings-inspire-and-are-not-to-be-defined-they-place-us-as-does/) [Odilon Redon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/odilon-redon/) > [Photography appears to be an easy activity; in fact it is a varied and ambiguous process in which the only common denominator among its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-cartier-bresson/photography-appears-to-be-an-easy-activity-in-fact-it-is-a-varied-and/) [Henri Cartier-Bresson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-cartier-bresson/) > [I want each poem to be ambiguous enough that its meaning can shift, depending on the reader's own frame of reference, and depending on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-arthur/i-want-each-poem-to-be-ambiguous-enough-that-its-meaning-can-shift/) [James Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-arthur/) > [“In general we are reminded that the word heimlich is not unambiguous, but belongs to two sets of ideas, which, without being contradictory, are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/in-general-we-are-reminded-that-the-word-heimlich-is-not-unambiguous/) [Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/) > [Redundancy is ambiguous because it seems like a waste if nothing unusual happens. Except that something unusual happens-usually .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/redundancy-is-ambiguous-because-it-seems-like-a-waste-if-nothing/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [Happiness can be bought with a bottle of wine and has become ambiguous through overuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/happiness-can-be-bought-with-a-bottle-of-wine-and-has-become/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Virtually every major technological advance in the history of the human species- back to the invention of stone tools and the domestication of fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dennett/virtually-every-major-technological-advance-in-the-history-of-the/) [Daniel Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dennett/) ## More by Xiaolu Guo > [But why people need privacy? Why privacy is important? In China, every family live together, grandparents, parents, daughter, son and their relatives too. Eat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xiaolu-guo/but-why-people-need-privacy-why-privacy-is-important-in-china-every/) [Xiaolu Guo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xiaolu-guo/) > [I’m saying language is a passport. A dubious, dangerous passport too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xiaolu-guo/i-m-saying-language-is-a-passport-a-dubious-dangerous-passport-too/) [Xiaolu Guo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xiaolu-guo/) > [“Red's world, you see, is a closed circle. Not that it matters. I know that I'm a closed circle, too, and it's all I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xiaolu-guo/red-s-world-you-see-is-a-closed-circle-not-that-it-matters-i-know/) [Xiaolu Guo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xiaolu-guo/) > [“In China we say, "You can't expect both ends of a sugar cane are as sweet." Sometimes love can be ugly. But one still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xiaolu-guo/in-china-we-say-you-can-t-expect-both-ends-of-a-sugar-cane-are-as/) [Xiaolu Guo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xiaolu-guo/) > [Self-censorship happens not only in China, or Iran or ex-Soviet places. It can happen anywhere. If an artist penetrates a certain taboo or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xiaolu-guo/self-censorship-happens-not-only-in-china-or-iran-or-ex-soviet-places/) [Xiaolu Guo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xiaolu-guo/) > [People always say it's harder to heal a wounded heart than a wounded body. Bullshit. It's exactly the opposite—a wounded body takes much longer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xiaolu-guo/people-always-say-it-s-harder-to-heal-a-wounded-heart-than-a-wounded/) [Xiaolu Guo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xiaolu-guo/) > [“In China we believe "rob the rich to feed the poor." But robbers here have no poetry.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xiaolu-guo/in-china-we-believe-rob-the-rich-to-feed-the-poor-but-robbers-here/) [Xiaolu Guo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xiaolu-guo/) > [“Yours is the face of a post-modern woman.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xiaolu-guo/yours-is-the-face-of-a-post-modern-woman/) [Xiaolu Guo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xiaolu-guo/) > [“In China, we say: 'There are many dreams in a long night.' It has been a long night, but I don't know if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xiaolu-guo/in-china-we-say-there-are-many-dreams-in-a-long-night-it-has-been-a/) [Xiaolu Guo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xiaolu-guo/) > [I do think there will be a better understanding between the two sides - East and West. And eventually, the so-called two sides will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xiaolu-guo/i-do-think-there-will-be-a-better-understanding-between-the-two-sides/) [Xiaolu Guo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xiaolu-guo/) > [“I am sick of speaking English like this... I am scared that I have become a person who is always very aware of talking,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xiaolu-guo/i-am-sick-of-speaking-english-like-this-i-am-scared-that-i-have/) [Xiaolu Guo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xiaolu-guo/) > [“Heavenly Bastard in the Sky, these cockroaches were sadomasochists, looking for the most painful way to die. Once I swallowed one absent-mindedly drinking my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xiaolu-guo/heavenly-bastard-in-the-sky-these-cockroaches-were-sadomasochists/) [Xiaolu Guo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xiaolu-guo/) > [“I thought that you would bring everything into my life. I thought you are my Jesus. You are my priest, my light. So I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xiaolu-guo/i-thought-that-you-would-bring-everything-into-my-life-i-thought-you/) [Xiaolu Guo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xiaolu-guo/) > [Never look back to the past, never regret, even if there is emptiness ahead.' But I couldn't help it. Sometimes I would rather look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xiaolu-guo/never-look-back-to-the-past-never-regret-even-if-there-is-emptiness/) [Xiaolu Guo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xiaolu-guo/) > [“Maybe I not need feeling lonely, because I can talk to other "me." Is like seeing my two pieces of lips speaking in two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xiaolu-guo/maybe-i-not-need-feeling-lonely-because-i-can-talk-to-other-me-is/) [Xiaolu Guo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xiaolu-guo/) [Explore all 37 Xiaolu Guo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xiaolu-guo/) ## More Ambiguous quotes > [Virtually every major technological advance in the history of the human species- back to the invention of stone tools and the domestication of fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dennett/virtually-every-major-technological-advance-in-the-history-of-the/) [Daniel Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dennett/) > [Happiness can be bought with a bottle of wine and has become ambiguous through overuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/happiness-can-be-bought-with-a-bottle-of-wine-and-has-become/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Redundancy is ambiguous because it seems like a waste if nothing unusual happens. Except that something unusual happens-usually .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/redundancy-is-ambiguous-because-it-seems-like-a-waste-if-nothing/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [“In general we are reminded that the word heimlich is not unambiguous, but belongs to two sets of ideas, which, without being contradictory, are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/in-general-we-are-reminded-that-the-word-heimlich-is-not-unambiguous/) [Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/) > [I want each poem to be ambiguous enough that its meaning can shift, depending on the reader's own frame of reference, and depending on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-arthur/i-want-each-poem-to-be-ambiguous-enough-that-its-meaning-can-shift/) [James Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-arthur/) > [Photography appears to be an easy activity; in fact it is a varied and ambiguous process in which the only common denominator among its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-cartier-bresson/photography-appears-to-be-an-easy-activity-in-fact-it-is-a-varied-and/) [Henri Cartier-Bresson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-cartier-bresson/) > [My drawings inspire, and are not to be defined. They place us, as does music, in the ambiguous realm of the undetermined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/odilon-redon/my-drawings-inspire-and-are-not-to-be-defined-they-place-us-as-does/) [Odilon Redon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/odilon-redon/) > [Words are such gross machinery, so primitive and ambiguous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/words-are-such-gross-machinery-so-primitive-and-ambiguous/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [Wave particle duality is a core feature of our world. Or rather, we should say, it is a core feature of our mathematical descriptions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-wertheim/wave-particle-duality-is-a-core-feature-of-our-world-or-rather-we/) [Margaret Wertheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-wertheim/) > [Humor is really one of the hardest things to define, very hard. And it's very ambiguous. You have it or you don't. You can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/humor-is-really-one-of-the-hardest-things-to-define-very-hard-and-it/) [Heinrich Böll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) > [I was perceiving myself as good as a man or equal to a man and as powerful and I wanted to look ambiguous because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-lennox/i-was-perceiving-myself-as-good-as-a-man-or-equal-to-a-man-and-as/) [Annie Lennox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-lennox/) > [I was always, like, ambiguous. Is that how you say it? When I was turning 16 I talked to my mom about transitioning and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adore-delano/i-was-always-like-ambiguous-is-that-how-you-say-it-when-i-was-turning/) [Adore Delano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adore-delano/) > [I am Indian-American, but I often play ethnically ambiguous roles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiya-sircar/i-am-indian-american-but-i-often-play-ethnically-ambiguous-roles/) [Tiya Sircar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiya-sircar/) > [Humor is really one of the hardest things to define, very hard. And it's very ambiguous. You have it, or you don't. You can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/humor-is-really-one-of-the-hardest-things-to-define-very-hard-and-it-2/) [Heinrich Boll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) > [At evening casual flocks of pigeons make Ambiguous undulations as they sink Downward to darkness, on extended wings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stevens/at-evening-casual-flocks-of-pigeons-make-ambiguous-undulations-as/) [Wallace Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stevens/) [Browse all 271 Ambiguous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambiguous/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Somehow, in the novel format, I don't really like to do upfront, ideological discussion. In my heart, literature remains a poetic and ambiguous medium. On the other hand, I trained as a documentary filmmaker in film school, so my films very much reflect reality and socio-political problems. 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