black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

I am by nature an optimist and by intellectual conviction a pessimist.

William Golding

An orotundity, which I define as Nobelitis a pomposity in which one is treated as representative of more than oneself by someone conscious of representing more than himself.
WILLIAM GOLDING

Conscious Define Less More Nobelities One Orotundity Proposity Representative Someone Treat
We just got to go on, that’s all. That’s what grownups would do.
WILLIAM GOLDING

All Do Go Grown Up Just On
Together, joined in effort by the burden, they staggered up the last steep of the mountain. Together, they chanted One! Two! Three! and crashed the log on to the great pile. Then they stepped back, laughing with triumphant pleasure.
WILLIAM GOLDING

Burden Chant Effort Join Last Mountain Sleep Staggered Together Two
We did everything adults would do. What went wrong?
WILLIAM GOLDING

Adult Everything Went Wrong
I believe man suffers from an appalling ignorance of his own nature. I produce my own view in the belief that it may be something like the truth.
WILLIAM GOLDING

Applying Believe Ignorance Man Nature Own Suffer
As soon as Oliver Twist is serialized, people who would never dream of reading [Charles] Dickens, if they hadn’t seen him on their box, buy the paperback.
WILLIAM GOLDING

Box Country Dream never People Person Raed Seen Serialized Soon
In India the odd thing is that English is this almost artificial language floating on the surface of a place with about fifty other languages. The same is true of Nigeria but even more so.
WILLIAM GOLDING

Almost Artificial Country English Fifty Float Language Odd Other Place Surface Thing
He lost himself in a maze of thoughts that were rendered vague by his lack of words to express them. Frowning, he tried again.
WILLIAM GOLDING

Again Express Follow Himself Lack Lost Maze Render Thought Vague Word
He doesn’t mind if he dies… indeed, he would like to die; but yet he fears to fall. He would welcome a long sleep; but not at the price of falling to it.
WILLIAM GOLDING

Die Fall Fear Indeed Long Mind Price Sleep Welcome
Serve you right if something did get you, you useless lot of cry-babies!
WILLIAM GOLDING

Baby Cry Right Save Something Useless
Only one novel is a novel: that is a successful novel.
WILLIAM GOLDING

Novel One Only Successful
At the moment of vision, the eyes see nothing.
WILLIAM GOLDING

Eyes Moment Nothing See Vision
There is, they say, no fool like an old fool.
WILLIAM GOLDING

Fool Like Old Say
I’m scared of him,” said Piggy, “and that’s why I know him. If you’re scared of someone you hate him but you can’t stop thinking about him. You kid yourself he’s all right really, an’ then when you see him again; it’s like asthma an’ you can’t breathe.
WILLIAM GOLDING

Hate Known Piggy Scare Someone Think
You have the older generation like Iris Murdoch and Angus Wilson who are not as old as Graham Greene, but still are coming on. I dare say anyone who knew the scene better than I know it could fill it in with a very satisfactory supply of novels.
WILLIAM GOLDING

Come Country Generation Holder Like One People Still
Childhood is a disease – a sickness that you grow out of.
WILLIAM GOLDING

Children Disease Grow Out Sickness

I am by nature an optimist and by intellectual conviction a pessimist.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

I am by nature an optimist and by intellectual conviction a pessimist.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More William Golding Quotes