Carlos Ruiz Zafon Quotes

As a child, I felt that books were holy objects, to be caressed, rapturously sniffed, and devotedly provided for. I gave my life to them. I still do. I continue to do what I did as a child; dream of books, make books and collect books.

I've been writing since I was six years old. It's hard to imagine stopping. I would hate to think that I've already written my best book.

Writing a book is an adventure. To begin with it is a toy and an amusement. Then it becomes a mistress, then it becomes a master, then it becomes a tyrant. The last phase is that just as you are about to be reconciled to your servitude, you kill the monster and fling him to the public.

I want to do something splendid… Something heroic or wonderful that won’t be forgotten after I’m dead… I think I shall write books.

You would have to be very optimistic to think that any of your books will be among the books that survive in the very long run. I think if a writer is lucky enough to still have a few books around after he's gone, a few that are still being read, then he's accomplished quite a lot.

Contrary to what people think, I slave over my books.

Books are the ultimate way for writers to reach immortality.

The only way to write a book, I’m fond of telling people, is to actually write a book. That’s how you write a book.

The only thing I want is something I can't have; and that is to know if, 100 years from now, people will still buy my books.

Nevertheless, hateful as saying 'No' always is to an imaginative person, and certain as the offence may be that it will cause to individuals whose own work does not require isolated effort, the writer who is engaged on a book must learn to say it. He must say it consistently to all interrupters; to the numerous callers and correspondents who want him to speak, open bazaars, see them for 'only' ten minutes, attend literary parties, put people up, or read, correct and find publishers for semi-literate manuscripts by his personal friends.

When writers die they become books, which is, after all, not too bad an incarnation.

When young people say I want to be a novelist, I'd say, think very carefully about it. There will be very few rewards, you probably won't make any money, you probably won't become famous, and you will spend your whole life locked up in a room by yourself worrying about how to survive.

I think the book you always like best is the one you're about to write.

Read the books you love, tell people about authors you like, and don’t worry about it.

There will come a time when nobody reads my books and no one remembers who I was. And in the meantime, I'll do it my way.

I have an intimate relationship with books. After all, I take them with me into the bathtub-not an invitation I offer lightly.

A lot of times, when people send me books to read - new writers mostly - I find that the book is still in a draft stage and that before it can leave the writer's hands and head to a publisher, it needs about five more revisions. Some people don't want to do that.

great writers are indecent people they live unfairly saving the best part for paper. good human beings save the world so that bastards like me can keep creating art, become immortal. if you read this after I am dead it means I made it.

One writer, for instance, excels at a plan or a title page, another works away at the body of the book, and a third is a dab at an index.

I'll leave it to other people to evaluate the legacy of my book, but I'm very moved when musicians tell me that they've been inspired by my book.

People are way too hard on themselves. Comparing yourself to other people can be damaging; the most important thing is just to be you and to try to engage with your child. If you're constantly working, so you don't have that much time to spend with them, but you have 20 minutes at the end of the day to read them their favourite book, children will remember that.

Writing a book is quite an undertaking and I wouldn't want to do it just to do it.

Too many people write books as a calling card.

[As a child] I was very interested in books that detailed injustice and how people who are underdogs were mistreated throughout history.

Do they sense it, these dead writers, when their books are read? Does a pinprick of light appear in their darkness? Is their soul stirred by the feather touch of another mind reading theirs? I do hope so.