Top Karl Ove Knausgard Quotes

Karl Ove Knausgard Biography

Karl Ove Knausgård (Norwegian: [ˈkɑːɭ ˈuːvə ˈknæʉsˌgɔːr]; born 6 December 1968) is a Norwegian author, known for six autobiographical novels, titled My Struggle (Min Kamp).

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Karl Ove Knausgard Quotes

Saying what you believe others want to hear is, of course, a form of lying.

Believe, Course, Hear, Lying, Saying, Want

As your perspective of the world increases not only is the pain it inflicts on you less but also its meaning. Understanding the world requires you to take a certain distance from it.

Distance, Inflicts, Pain, Perspective, Requires, Take

I've always been a fast reader. Now I had to do it slowly, discussing each sentence. And every time I wanted to change something I had to come up with an intelligent defense I could be pretty sure that they would turn my suggestion down, as they had so many aspects to keep in mind. However, if I argued well, I could have a chance. I had to think of every comma, every word.

Comma, Intelligent, Mind, Think, Thinking, Word

For me, personally, it is very important that the days are exactly the same, so I have routines. I do the same thing every day.

Day, Exactly, Important, Personally, Routines, Same

The strange thing about writing is that it's so easy to write a novel. It is really easy. But it's getting there to the point where it's easy that's hard. The hard part is to get there.

Easy, Hard, Point, Strange, Thing, Writing

Shame tells you when you've gone too far. Then you try if it's okay to go too far. And it might be so that shame was right. You can never, never know that.

Gone, Know, Might, Shame, Tells, Trying

Shameless actually good since it gives a kind of freedom. We consider the old, functionless shame destructive. Today, if you have a strong sense of shame you also have a strong desire to overcome it. And that's when you can write.

Giving, Good, Overcome, Strong, Today, Writing

The tree was so old, and stood there so alone, that his childish heart had been filled with compassion; if no one else on the farm gave it a thought, he would at least do his best to, even though he suspected that his child's words and child's deeds didn't make much difference. It had stood there before he was born, and would be standing there after he was dead, but perhaps, even so, it was pleased that he stroked its bark every time he passed, and sometimes, when he was sure he wasn't observed, even pressed his cheek against it.

Against, Children, Compassion, Heart, Pleased, Stroked

I have a longing for fiction - to try to believe in it and to disappear into it.

Believe, Disappear, Fiction, Longing, Trying

If you are disappearing from yourself, but you're still writing, then there is a kind of activity of thinking going on, which in my world is similar to what's going on in music.

Kind, Thinking, World, Writing

As a person, I'm polite - I want to please.

Person, Please, Polite, Want

When I look back at what I've written and try to explain it, it doesn't help, but it helps to be in a process of writing. It's the same thing with reading - you lose yourself when you read as well. When I was younger I used literature that way, it was just escapism, a tool to run away from things.

Help, Reading, Running, Things, Way, Writing

I never read the translation before publication. The most important things for me is that the emotion is captured in such a way that the feelings that are in the original are there, much more than the details, if they are right or wrong.

Feelings, Important, Details, Original, Translation

National identity is a motion. It's something you're inside, you don't get what's happening, you can't see it from above. And that's where you have to write. You can't see what's happening now or what's going to happen, so you just dive into it and write.

Dive, Happens, Identity, National, Write, Writing

You don’t think when you play music, you just try to play and be in it. It is the same for me when the writing is going really well. It’s the same kind of feeling. I’m just in it. It’s not the words, it’s not the sentences, I’m not aware of it. Then it’s good.

Feeling, Kind, Play, Thinking, Writing

In modern novels I try to not let myself get away and to be here, and that's why I write about my life and myself. But even when I do that there's an element of disappearing to a place that's not me. It's "the selflessness of writing". It seldom happens, but when it does it's worth quite a lot.

Modern Novel, Trying, Worth, Write, Writing

Karl Ove Knausgard Biography

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