Looking for a Carlos Fuentes quote
November 18, 2014 2:21 PM Subscribe
Some years ago, I read a quote from Carlos Fuentes (in English) in some secondary source. I have no idea where I read it, but I would love to find it again!
I have tried Googling the essentials, and have found many quotes, but not the one I am looking for.
I am pretty sure it came from his non-fiction writings. It was his explanation of the reason we humans need fiction: the ability (or desire) to imagine a hundred (or thousand) lives, but being fated to live just one.
This feels like a long shot, but does this vague description ring any bells? I am mainly interested in finding the quote itself (as opposed to the quoting source).
I have tried Googling the essentials, and have found many quotes, but not the one I am looking for.
I am pretty sure it came from his non-fiction writings. It was his explanation of the reason we humans need fiction: the ability (or desire) to imagine a hundred (or thousand) lives, but being fated to live just one.
This feels like a long shot, but does this vague description ring any bells? I am mainly interested in finding the quote itself (as opposed to the quoting source).
Response by poster: That is definitely the sentiment, but not the words that I recall. I suppose there could be another translation?
posted by tentacle at 3:14 PM on November 18, 2014
posted by tentacle at 3:14 PM on November 18, 2014
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We invent fictions in order to live somehow the many lives we would like to lead when we barely have one at our disposal.
The words, however, belong to Mario Vargas Llosa. He used them (at least) in his Nobel Prize lecture.
posted by dhartung at 2:43 PM on November 18, 2014