John O'Hara Quotes & Sayings

Becoming the reader is the essence of becoming a writer. — John O'Hara

I have work to do, and I am afraid not to do it. — John O'Hara

In every marriage the wife has to keep her mouth shut about at least one small thing her husband does that disgusts her. — John O'Hara

But whats the use of being old if you cant be dumb? — John O'Hara

Little old ladies of both sexes. Why do I let them bother me? — John O'Hara

They say great themes make great novels.. but what these young writers don't understand is that there is no greater theme than men and women. — John O'Hara

America may be unique in being a country which has leapt from barbarism to decadence without touching civilization. — John O'Hara

Bing: You're a heel ... a low down rotten heel ... anything that doesn't go your way, anything that you can't have you destroy. — John O'Hara

Much as I like owning a Rolls-Royce, I could do without it. What I could not do without is a typewriter, a supply of yellow second sheets and the time to put them to good use. — John O'Hara

An artist is his own fault. — John O'Hara

The people who want regeneration to be permanent are fanatics for the happy ending, dissatisfied with themselves and with anyone else, unrealistic men and women, anti-Christs, who were entertained by the miracles but learned nothing from Calvary. — John O'Hara

Illinois is a state of suspended animation and the people live in hibernation from Oct. to whenever it ever gets warmer. — John O'Hara

There comes a time in a man's life, if he is unlucky and leads a full life, when he has a secret so dirty that he knows he never will get rid of it. (Shakespeare knew this and tried to say it, but he said it just as badly as anyone ever said it. 'All the perfumes of Arabia' makes you think of all the perfumes of Arabia and nothing more. It is the trouble with all metaphors where human behavior is concerned. People are not ships, chess men, flowers, race horses, oil paintings, bottles of champagne, excrement, musical instruments or anything else but people. Metaphors are all right to give you an idea.) — John O'Hara

Men go to musicals. Women are the ones who buy the tickets for plays. — John O'Hara

When Caroline Walker fell in love with Julian English she was a little tired of him. That was in the summer of 1926, one of the most unimportant years in the history of the United States, and the year in which Caroline Walker was sure her life had reached a pinnacle of uselessness. — John O'Hara

So who's perfect? ... Washington had false teeth. Franklin was nearsighted. Mussolini had syphilis. Unpleasant things have been said about Walt Whitman and Oscar Wilde. Tchaikovsky had his problems, too. And Lincoln was constipated. — John O'Hara

Hot lead can be almost as effective coming from a linotype as from a firearm. — John O'Hara

I can get very depressed by a review that is unfair, unreasonable, and totally destructive ... — John O'Hara

The trouble is people leave too much to luck. They get married and then trust to luck. They should be sure in the first place. — John O'Hara

Socially, I never belonged to any class, rich or poor. To the rich I was poor, and to the poor I was poor pretending to be like the rich. — John O'Hara

Our story opens in the mind of Luther L. (L for LeRoy) Fliegler, who is lying in his bed, not thinking of anything, but just aware of sounds, conscious of his own breathing, and sensitive to his own heartbeats. Lying beside him is his wife, lying on her right side and enjoying her sleep. — John O'Hara

Never play cards with a man named Doc, and never eat at a place called Mom's. — John O'Hara

Book reviewers are little old ladies of both sexes. — John O'Hara

George Gershwin died on July 11, 1937, but I don't have to believe it if I don't want to. — John O'Hara