Boris Vian

Writer

1920-03-10 – 1959-06-23

Quotes by Boris Vian

• There are only two things: love, all sorts of love, with pretty girls, and the music of New Orleans or Duke Ellington. Everything else ought to go, because everything else is ugly.

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• - Is it their fault if they think that it's good to work?- No, said Colin, it's not their fault. It's because they've been told : work is sacred, it's good, it's nice, it's what counts before anything, and only those who work have the right to everything. The only thing is, it's been set up so that they work all the time so they can't take advantage of it.- But then they're stupid, said Chloe.- Yes, they're stupid, said Colin. That's why they agree with those that made them believe that work is the best thing there is. That saves them from thinking and finding a way to progress and to no longer work.

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• - Is it their fault if they think that it's good to work?- No, said Colin, it's not their fault. It's because they've been told : work is sacred, it's good, it's nice, it's what counts before anything, and only those who work have the right to everything. The only thing is, it's been set up so that they work all the time so they can't take advantage of it.- But then they're stupid, said Chloe.- Yes, they're stupid, said Colin. That's why they agree with those that made them believe that work is the best thing there is. That saves them from thinking and finding a way to progress and to no longer work.

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• There are only two things: love, all sorts of love, with pretty girls, and the music of New Orleans or Duke Ellington. Everything else ought to go, because everything else is ugly.

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• The problem is the following, black music is increasing encumbered by white elements, often pleasant but always superfluous, easily and advantageously replaced with black elements.

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• I played the trumpet a bit like a porker, I think.

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