Jane Smiley Quote

In a comic novel, the language has to stay perky so the reader will keep laughing. And yet it sort of defies making it deep, so it's hard to make it both funny and profound, comic and deep, all at the same time.

The Paris Review, Issue 214, Fall 2015, The Art of Fiction No. 229

In a comic novel, the language has to stay perky so the reader will keep laughing. And yet it sort of defies making it deep, so it's hard to make it...

In a comic novel, the language has to stay perky so the reader will keep laughing. And yet it sort of defies making it deep, so it's hard to make it...

In a comic novel, the language has to stay perky so the reader will keep laughing. And yet it sort of defies making it deep, so it's hard to make it...

In a comic novel, the language has to stay perky so the reader will keep laughing. And yet it sort of defies making it deep, so it's hard to make it...