There is something in us, as storytellers and as listeners to stories, that demands the redemptive act, that demands that what falls at least be offered the chance to be restored. The reader of today looks for this motion, and rightly so, but what he has forgotten is the cost of it. His sense of evil is diluted or lacking altogether, and so he has forgotten the price of restoration. When he reads a novel, he wants either his sense tormented or his spirits raised. He wants to be transported, instantly, either to mock damnation or a mock innocence. Flannery OConnor
About This Quote

While reading a novel is an enjoyable activity, most people do not take the time to reflect on the book after they are done. The reader must take time to reflect on the story that was just told. When the reader is finished with the book, he must take time to be thoughtful about it. What can be learned from this book? What do I think about this author? Do I like them or hate them? What can I learn about myself from this novel? These are all questions that must be answered by each reader. This reflection is essential in order for us to grow as people.

Source: Mystery And Manners: Occasional Prose

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More Quotes By Flannery OConnor
  1. I fell in love with her courage, her sincerity, and her flaming self respect. And it's these things I'd believe in, even if the whole world indulged in wild suspicions that she wasn't all she should be. I love her and it is the beginning...
  2. I wasn't actually in love, but I felt a sort of tender curiosity.
  3. I'm not sentimental-- I'm as romantic as you are. The idea, you know, is that the sentimental person thinks things will last--the romanticperson has a desperate confidence that they won't.
  4. She was beautiful, but not like those girls in the magazines. She was beautiful, for the way she thought. She was beautiful, for the sparkle in her eyes when she talked about something she loved. She was beautiful, for her ability to make other people...
  5. Actually that’s my secret – I can’t even talk about you to anybody because I don’t want any more people to know how wonderful you are.
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