Antonio Tabucchi Quotes

I prefer insomnia to anaesthesia.

Literature for me isn't a workaday job, but something which involves desires, dreams and fantasy.

People with lots of doubts sometimes find life more oppressive and exhausting than others, but they're more energetic - they aren't robots.

Perfection spawns doctrines, dictators and totalitarian ideas.

Rather than regret for what I have written, I feel regret for what I shall never be able to read.

I live quietly at home among my family and friends.

I claim the right to take a stand once in a while.

We all want to be someone else but without ceasing to be ourselves. I think it's very important to defend this idea in real life too.

The salt of any interesting civilization is mixture.

There are some fundamental values it's impossible to be wrong about.

No, I'm happy to go on living the life I've chosen. I'm a university teacher and I like my job.

It's the job of intellectuals and writers to cast doubt on perfection.

I don't go for people who lead full and satisfying lives.

History is a big word ... History is not the sort of animal you can domesticate.

But democracy isn't a state of perfection. It has to be improved, and that means constant vigilance.

As a writer, I've always been interested in others.

I was born in the Second World War during the Nazi invasion of my country.

I don't want to promote my own image either. I don't like going on television or mixing in literary circles.

It's very useful when politicians have doubts because there are so many choices to be made in the world.

My job is to look at what politics is doing, not be a politician myself.

Literature is my life of course, but from an ontological point of view. From an existential point of view, I like being a teacher.

Personally I don't trust literature that soothes people's consciences.

My books are about losers, about people who've lost their way and are engaged in a search.

The most important basis of any novel is wanting to be someone else, and this means creating a character.

I've always been drawn to tormented people full of contradictions.