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Literary Criticism Quotations

The Innate Acceptability of Fiction

Two quotes, in odd collusion.

G.K Chesterton, The Singular Speculation of the House Agent

�Truth must of necessity be stranger than fiction,� said Basil placidly. �For fiction is the creation of the human mind, and therefore is congenial to it.�

John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, IV:10.11

[Of the �shew of wisdom in will-worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body] being framed by men, the human mind recognizes in them that which is its own, and embraces it when recognized more willingly than anything, however good, which is less suitable to its vanity.

2 replies on “The Innate Acceptability of Fiction”

Hah. That’s pretty perfect. I read that line in Chesterton years ago and have kept in the “favorite quotes” file since. Wonder what he would think of being quoted with Calvin!

Oh, something along the lines of, “Well, even the devil is occasionally right”. Either that or, “He borrowed it from Catholicism and has recast it in his own peculiarly depressing way.” Chesterton is nice, but he doesn’t seem to have been largely possessed of fairness towards dissenters.

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