Jonathan Swift Quotes

Some judge of authors' names, not works, and then Nor praise nor blame the writings, but the men.

I don't know what to say about literary critics. I think it's probably best to say nothing.

Criticism, that fine flower of personal expression in the garden of letters.

Those who do not read criticism will rarely merit to be criticised.

Reviews are extremely subjective, but I have respect for them.

Pedants make a great rout about criticism, as if it were a science of great depth, and required much pains and knowledge--criticism however is only the result of good sense, taste and judgment--three qualities that indeed seldom are found together, and extremely seldom in a pedant, which most critics are.

I still found literary criticism to be a suspect activity

There is a technical term for someone who confuses the opinions of a character in a book with those of the author. That term is idiot.

When friends and acquaintances are telling you [that] you are a genius, before you accept their opinion, take a moment to remember what you always thought of their opinions in the past.

REVIEW, v.t. To set your wisdom (holding not a doubt of it./ Although in truth there's neither bone nor skin to it)/ At work upon a book, and so read out of it/ The qualities that you have first read into it.

The method of the critic is to balance praises with censure, and thus to do justice to the subject and--his own discrimination.

Mediocrity is more dangerous in a critic than in a writer.

In short, numbers are accepted as evidence when they agree with preconceptions, but not when they don’t.

Women excel more in literary judgment than in literary production,--they are better critics than authors.

Those who have no power to judge of past times but by their own, should always doubt their conclusions

People assign much higher probability to the truth of their opinions than is warranted.

As the beauty of the picture depends not on the painter but on the picture itself, what I say must depend on its own intrinsic value and not on the authority of my attainment, nor on the authority of others.

There's an enormous difference between being a critic and a reviewer. The reviewer reacts to the experience of that book.

There are three distinct kind of judges upon all new authors or productions; the first are those who know no rules, but pronounce entirely from their natural taste and feelings; the second are those who know and judge by rules; and the third are those who know, but are above the rules. These last are those you should wish to satisfy. Next to them rate the natural judges; but ever despise those opinions that are formed by the rules.

We are all apt to think that an opinion that differs from our own is a prejudice.

I hate perception. There's far too much of it in football

I have heard it remarked that men are not to be reasoned out of an opinion they have not reasoned themselves into.

Probably you have noted the resemblance of the critic to the crank.

Bias, like beauty, is often in the eye of the beholder. Facts are your firewall against bias.

I love smarta**es when it's stuff I agree with.