Portrait of Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Gabriel Garcia Marquez

One Hundred Years of Solitude

Modern influential 101 sayings

Sayings by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

The world must have been in its infancy then, and everything had a name of its own and there was no need to point.

1967 — One Hundred Years of Solitude
General Unverifiable

Always remember that the most important thing in a good marriage is not happiness, but stability.

Uncertain — Attributed, often quoted but exact source is debated; possibly from an interview or a less formal co…
General Unverifiable

There is no greater glory than to die for love.

1985 — Love in the Time of Cholera
General Unverifiable

The only thing that I regret is not having died for love.

1985 — Love in the Time of Cholera
General Unverifiable

Ultimately, literature is nothing but carpentry. With both, you are working with reality, a material just as hard as wood.

1981 — Interview with The Paris Review
General Unverifiable

The past is a lie. Memory has no road.

1967 — One Hundred Years of Solitude
General Unverifiable

I've always said that the only reason I write is so that I can tell my friends how much I love them.

Uncertain — Attributed, often quoted but exact source is debated; possibly from an interview or speech.
General Unverifiable

The two greatest obstacles to original writing are the desire to please and the fear of giving offense.

Uncertain — Attributed, often cited as a general writing philosophy, though exact textual source is debated.
General Unverifiable

The only way to be a good writer is to be a good reader.

Uncertain — Attributed, often cited as a general writing philosophy, though exact textual source is debated.
General Unverifiable

Writing is a solitary profession. The writer's work is a constant struggle against himself.

Uncertain — Attributed, often cited as a general writing philosophy, though exact textual source is debated.
General Unverifiable

The writer is a public enemy, an outlaw, a subversive.

Uncertain — Attributed, often cited as a general writing philosophy, though exact textual source is debated.
General Unverifiable

I've always been afraid of love because I've seen too many people destroyed by it.

Uncertain — Attributed, possibly from a personal reflection or interview about the themes in his work.
War & Violence Unverifiable

I write to keep my loved ones alive.

Uncertain — Attributed, often cited as a personal motivation for his writing.
General Unverifiable

The world is so recent that many things lack names, and in order to indicate them it is necessary to point.

1967 — One Hundred Years of Solitude
General Unverifiable

Nobody deserves your tears, but whoever deserves them will not make you cry.

Uncertain — Attributed, often cited as a general life philosophy or reflection, though exact textual source is d…
General Unverifiable

The first condition of a good writer is to be a good human being.

Uncertain — Attributed, often cited as a general writing philosophy, though exact textual source is debated.
General Unverifiable

I've always been a communist.

Various interviews throughout his life — Interview, often stated as his political affiliation.
Political Unverifiable

I don't think I'm a good writer. I think I'm a good storyteller.

Uncertain — Attributed, often cited as a personal reflection on his craft.
General Unverifiable

The only thing I regret is not having had more time to read.

Uncertain — Attributed, a common reflection from avid readers and writers.
General Unverifiable

I'm not a political writer. I'm a writer who writes about politics.

Uncertain — Attributed, clarifying his approach to political themes in his work.
Political Unverifiable
Your Cart

Your cart is empty