Ruth Prawer Jhabvala Quotes

• India always changes people, and I have been no exception

  Ruth Prawer Jhabvala

  People, India, Exception

  Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (2016). “Heat and Dust”, p.7, Counterpoint

  16 Copy quote

• The misfortune to be born when I was, where I was. That was a piece of bad luck.

  Ruth Prawer Jhabvala

  Luck, Pieces, Born

  14 Copy quote

• The older books were quite light-hearted. But I think most of my novels do end on a deep note of pessimism. Shadows seem to be closing in. The final conclusion isn't that life is wonderful and everything is bright and cheery and in the garden.

  Ruth Prawer Jhabvala

  Book, Garden, Thinking

  13 Copy quote

• Film is not like a book; it's not a writer's baby at all. So many people have put in their talent, by that time that you feel grateful for what they've done, you don't feel possessive about it in any way.

  Ruth Prawer Jhabvala

  Baby, Book, Grateful

  11 Copy quote

• I am dissatisfied with everything I have ever written and regard it all only as a preparation for that one work which probably I don't have it in me to write but which I hope I can go on trying for.

  Ruth Prawer Jhabvala

  Writing, Preparation, Trying

  8 Copy quote

• All my early books are written as if I were Indian. In England, I had started writing as if I were English; now I write as if I were American. You take other peoples backgrounds and characters; Keats called it negative capability.

  Ruth Prawer Jhabvala

  Book, Writing, Character

  9 Copy quote

• Westernized Indians don't like my books and I tend not to like westernized Indians - so we're quits.

  Ruth Prawer Jhabvala

  Book, Quitting

  7 Copy quote

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