"We all suffer alone in the real world. True empathy's impossible. But if a piece of fiction can alow us imaginatively to identify with a character's pain, we might then also more easily conceive of others identifying with their own. This is nourishing, redemptive; we become less alone inside. It might just be that simple."

6 likes

Source: How Emmanuel Carrère Reinvented Nonfiction by Wyatt Mason, www.nytimes.com. March 2, 2017.

About the author

David Foster Wallace

Writer

David Foster Wallace was an influential American writer known for his complex narratives and deep explorations of truth and anxiety, particularly in 'Infinite Jest.'

All quotes by David Foster Wallace →

Same author

More quotes by David Foster Wallace

See all →

"Am I a good person? Deep down, do I even really want to be a good person, or do I only want to seem like a good person so that people (including myself) will approve of me? Is there a difference? How do I ever actually know whether I'm bullshitting myself, morally speaking?"

Read quote