Reciting a presumed quote from a famous writer--Twain, Hemingway, Vonnegut--seems to have become a substitute for reading the author's books. Readers will find plenty of pithy comments in their works.
Motivational speakers are especially egregious in assigning bland, how-to quotes to famous authors. I argued with Goodreads "librarians" about a bogus George Eliot quote for a long time.
Now & then I look up a quote or saying origin and might find a deep dive into the various parts which seem to have been said by someone specific but which were later somehow edited, added to, compressed. A famous one is the Churchillian "blood, sweat, & tears," which originated as "blood, toil, tears, and sweat" in one of his speeches. Or, at least, that's how I remember it from sources I can't recall!
Given how gullible people are about what they see on the Internet, it's not surprising so many pass on bogus quotations that couldn't possibly be by the people they're attributed to. But it's depressing.
This quote dousn't sound like Mark Twain at all! The quote that I've seen attributed to countless writers is "Writing is easy. All you have to do is sit at the typewriter and open a vein."
I’ve got Twain on the brain at the moment, since I’m hacking my way through his immense upcoming biography for review. That first quote you posted is an immediate red flag. While Twain has faults as a writer, drabness wasn’t one of them. (The bio is excellent, by the way, and my guess is that it will become the standard reference book on Twain’s life and psychology.)
And the second quote, to echo Wilde, is of "more than usual revolting sentimentality." To believe Twain said it is proof of not having ever read or understood him.
By the way— and as usual I hasten to add that I’m not trying to eat up your whole day chatting here— but I’ve only just started this book review job and already it’s affecting the way I think about writing and reading. I didn’t expect that, but it’s a welcome surprise.
I’ll add that my attention span has always made it hard for me to get through a big biography, but this one is not giving me any trouble. Partly that’s due to my fascination with Twain, but Chernow is really good. (That’s only news to me, I would guess, and not news to people who read doorstop biographies.)
I loved reviewing for newspapers, magazines, online publications, on the radio. I started in the mid-90s with my own crime fiction column in the Free Press and expanded. That gig got me, long story, two free vacations in the Caribbean.
Reciting a presumed quote from a famous writer--Twain, Hemingway, Vonnegut--seems to have become a substitute for reading the author's books. Readers will find plenty of pithy comments in their works.
Motivational speakers are especially egregious in assigning bland, how-to quotes to famous authors. I argued with Goodreads "librarians" about a bogus George Eliot quote for a long time.
And you probably learned what I learned--you can never win an argument with Goodreads and most of the other online sites.
Well, they did list it, finally, as misattributed, but that still gives the quote prominence. All they care about is clicks, not accuracy.
Now & then I look up a quote or saying origin and might find a deep dive into the various parts which seem to have been said by someone specific but which were later somehow edited, added to, compressed. A famous one is the Churchillian "blood, sweat, & tears," which originated as "blood, toil, tears, and sweat" in one of his speeches. Or, at least, that's how I remember it from sources I can't recall!
It's the early speech that was a dud in Parliament but has become famous, and yes, you remember the phrase well: https://winstonchurchill.org/resources/speeches/1940-the-finest-hour/blood-toil-tears-sweat/
The quote uses contemporary lingo-ese. That's how you know some dope made it up
Absolutely. Not remotely phrases from a Gilded Age writer.
If I'm going to quote Twain, I'm quoting actual things he wrote and said. He didn't get to be who he was for nothing.
Given how gullible people are about what they see on the Internet, it's not surprising so many pass on bogus quotations that couldn't possibly be by the people they're attributed to. But it's depressing.
This quote dousn't sound like Mark Twain at all! The quote that I've seen attributed to countless writers is "Writing is easy. All you have to do is sit at the typewriter and open a vein."
Of course it doesn't--and people who use it likely have never read Twain or even read about him. It sounds like weekend staff retreat stuff.
Didn’t I hate that staff retreat stuff!! Nobody’s going to make me take the Myers–Briggs so they can slap a label on my forehead.
LOL.
I used a retreat in one of my crime novels. It was a lot of fun, well for me, not for the victim.
I’ll be you got in your licks!
I did indeed, and one of the hilarious moments is when a former professor who like the series suggested I write him into it.
I already had, and he missed it.
:-)
Isn’t that funny! What’s the title of the book?
I didn't know about the website Quote Investigator. Thanks.
You're welcome! It's a fascinating resource.
I’ve got Twain on the brain at the moment, since I’m hacking my way through his immense upcoming biography for review. That first quote you posted is an immediate red flag. While Twain has faults as a writer, drabness wasn’t one of them. (The bio is excellent, by the way, and my guess is that it will become the standard reference book on Twain’s life and psychology.)
Who's the author of the bio?
And the second quote, to echo Wilde, is of "more than usual revolting sentimentality." To believe Twain said it is proof of not having ever read or understood him.
Ron Chernow.
Terrific writer.
By the way— and as usual I hasten to add that I’m not trying to eat up your whole day chatting here— but I’ve only just started this book review job and already it’s affecting the way I think about writing and reading. I didn’t expect that, but it’s a welcome surprise.
I’ll add that my attention span has always made it hard for me to get through a big biography, but this one is not giving me any trouble. Partly that’s due to my fascination with Twain, but Chernow is really good. (That’s only news to me, I would guess, and not news to people who read doorstop biographies.)
I loved reviewing for newspapers, magazines, online publications, on the radio. I started in the mid-90s with my own crime fiction column in the Free Press and expanded. That gig got me, long story, two free vacations in the Caribbean.
If there's no documentation for a quote, then it's fake until proven otherwise.
That's a notorious bogus quote and the Hemingway Society calls it out here: https://www.hemingwaysociety.org/hemingway-didnt-say