"When I had finished the book I knew that no matter what Scott did, nor how he behaved, I must know it was like a sickness and be of any help I could to him and try to be a good friend. He had many good, good friends, more than anyone I knew. But I enlisted as one more, whether I could be of any use to him or not. If he could write a book as fine as The Great Gatsby I was sure that he could write an even better one. I did not know Zelda yet, and so I did not know the terrible odds that were against him. But we were to find them out soon enough."

3 likes

Source: Ernest Hemingway (2016). “The Sun Also Rises”, p.32, Hamilton Books

About the author

Ernest Hemingway

Novelist

Ernest Hemingway was a celebrated American novelist and short story writer known for his distinctive prose style and works like 'The Old Man and the Sea.'

All quotes by Ernest Hemingway →

Same author

More quotes by Ernest Hemingway

See all →
Ernest Hemingway Novelist

"Try to learn to breathe deeply, really to taste food when you eat, and when you sleep, really to sleep. Try as much as possible to be wholly alive with all your might, and when you laugh, laugh like hell. And when you get angry, get good and angry. Try to be alive. You will be dead soon enough."

Read quote
Ernest Hemingway Novelist

"The best people possess a feeling for beauty, the courage to take risks, the discipline to tell the truth, the capacity for sacrifice. Ironically, their virtues make them vulnerable; they are often wounded, sometimes destroyed."

Read quote
Ernest Hemingway Novelist

"Worry a little bit every day and in a lifetime you will lose a couple of years. If something is wrong, fix it if you can. But train yourself not to worry: Worry never fixes anything."

Read quote