David Martín on Literature

“Literature, at least good literature, is science tempered with the blood of art. Like architecture or music.”
– David Martín in Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s The Angel’s Game, Act Two: “Lux Aeterna”, Chapter 13

David Martín on Inspiration

“Inspiration comes when you stick your elbows on the table and your bottom on the chair and start sweating. Choose a theme, an idea, and squeeze your brain until it hurts. That’s called inspiration.”
– David Martín in Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s The Angel’s Game, Act Two: “Lux Aeterna”, Chapter 13

Andreas Corelli on Silence

“Silence makes even idiots seem wise for a minute.”
– Andreas Corelli in Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s The Angel’s Game, Act Two: “Lux Aeterna”, Chapter 8

David Martín on Talent

“…there are a lot of people with talent and passion, and many of them never get anywhere. This is only the first step toward achieving anything in life. Natural talent is like an athlete’s strength. You can be born with more or less ability, but nobody can become an athlete just because he or she [...]

Andreas Corelli on Narratives

“Everything is a tale… What we believe, what we know, what we remember, even what we dream. Everything is a story, a narrative, a sequence of events with characters communicating an emotional content. We only accept as true what can be narrated.”
– Andreas Corelli in Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s The Angel’s Game, Act One: “City of [...]

Andreas Corelli on Religion

“Poetry aside, a religion is really a moral code that is expressed through legends, myths, or any type of literary device in order to establish a system of beliefs, values, and rules with which to regulate a culture or society.”
– Andreas Corelli in Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s The Angel’s Game, Act One: “City of the Damned”, [...]

Francisco d’Anconia on Contradictions

“Contradictions do not exist. Whenever you think that you are facing a contradiction, check your premises. You will find that one of them is wrong.”
– Francisco d’Anconia in Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged, Part I, Chapter VII

David Martín on Writing

“A writer never forgets the first time he accepted a few coins or a word of praise in exchange for a story. He will never forget the sweet poison of vanity in his blood and the belief that, if he succeeds in not letting anyone discover his lack of talent, the dream of literature will [...]

Francisco d’Anconia on America

“…the rebirth … of the world … has to start here, in the United States. This country was the only country in history born, not of chance and blind tribal warfare, but as a rational product of man’s mind. This country was built on the supremacy of reason — and, for one magnificent century, it [...]

Ragnar Danneskjöld on Robin Hood

“It is said that [Robin Hood] fought against the looting rulers and returned the loot to those who had been robbed, but that is not the meaning of the legend which has survived. He is remembered, not as a champion of property, but as a champion of need, not as a defender of the robbed, [...]