On September 3, 1941, writer Sergei Dovlatov was born. Today he would be 80 years old. Behind the simplicity of his works – honesty, modesty, humor and an incredible sense of language. To the anniversary of the classic we offer a selection of funny and wise quotes from his books, letters and interviews.
“Union deprived of obligations. What is the key to his durability … but where is love? Where jealousy and insomnia? Where is the flood of feelings? Where are the indistinguishable letters with blurry ink? Where is the fainting at the sight of a tiny foot? Where are the bucids, cupids and other statists of this exciting show? Where, finally, a bouquet of flowers per ruble thirty. “(” Reserve “, 1983).
When I write that you are a wonderful girl, then I know what I’m writing about. And over time, learn to stay easier, more naturally, you will put in letters less exclamation and interrogative signs and turn into a wonderful woman. (From the letters Tamara Urzhumova, 1963)
If you see that a person laughs at himself, you can be completely sure that he is not a fool, since the ability to make fun of himself is a clear and indisputable sign of mind. Charlatans never do this. (From the letters Tamara Urzhumova
, 1963)
And I am sending you a picturesque portrait, since I can’t take pictures of me, an emulsion bursts from my muzzle, does not withstand. (From the letters Tamara Urzhumova, 1963)
I’m now completely lonely, like a hippo in the Leningrad Zoo. Her name is beauty, and she is very not bad, but, you can imagine, all the time one. Because she is the only hippo in Leningrad, and marry an ostrich or a goat in no case. (From the letters Tamara Urzhumova, 1963)
When I was in the north, I saw how my acquaintances, normally stupid, normally unsympathetic people committed heroic deeds. And then I realized that in some circumstances a person turned off the brake of self -love, and then his strength and possibilities are unlimited. (…) In all likelihood, the task of art is to turn off the brake of self -love in a person. (From army letters to father, 1962–1964)
The stimuli of writing is a very internal affair, almost unformed, but if you still try to answer this question, then literary activity is most likely an attempt to overcome your own complexes, to excite or weaken the tragedy of existence. (“Writer in exile”, an interview with the magazine “Word”, published in 1991)
It is disgusted to me that if a Russian filmmaker calls, then the conversation begins: “I have a creative proposal to you, I have already addressed Voinovich and Aksenov, but they refused …” (From letters to George and Natalia Vladimov, 1984)
I will never be able to understand why Norman Meyler, Vonnugut (a man of limitless charm) or a deceased chiver a thousand times more friendly, more affordable and easier than a musty and mysterious Viti Perelman * . (From letters to George and Natalya Vladimov, 1984)
I do not agree that an engineer, for example, can be anyone, and a writer – certainly – Leo Tolstoy. You can not write too much and not too brilliant, but about important things and with really. (From army letters to father, 1962–1964)
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