Edward St. Aubyn Quotes

The best way to contradict him is to let him talk

If an artist is good, nobody else can do what he or she does and therefore all comparisons are incoherent. Only the mediocre, pushing forward a commonplace view of life in a commonplace language, can really be compared, but my wife thinks that "least mediocre of the mediocre" is a discouraging title for a prize[.]

The measure of a work of art is how much art it has in it, not how much ‘relevance’. Relevant to whom? Relevant to what? Nothing is more ephemeral than a hot topic.

In England, art was much less likely to be mentioned in polite society than sexual perversions or methods of torture.

Personally I think that competition should be encouraged in war and sport and business, but that it makes no sense in the arts. If an artist is good, nobody else can do what he or she does and therefore all comparisons are incoherent.

No pain is too small if it hurts, but any pain is too big if it's cherished.

They had drifted apart, as people do when they promise to stay in touch; the ones who are going to stay in touch don't need to promise.

There seemed to be no one in a position of power, from the Vatican to Wall Street, from Parliament to Scotland Yard to Fleet Street, who could think of anything better to do than abuse it....

Everything was usual. That was depression: being stuck, clinging to an out-of-date version of oneself.