He was the type of writer I thought of as a professional queer, one whose nature defined both his public persona and his work, and that was something that had always made me uncomfortable.
“Childhood is a naturally unhappy period of our existence, Lillian. It was Walt Disney who invented the notion that it has to be happy, simply to make money.”
― The Japanese Lover
― The Japanese Lover
“But if these years have taught me anything it is this: you can never run away. Not ever. The only way out is in.”
― The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
― The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
“To the privileged, equality feels like a step down. Understand this and you understand a lot of populist politics today.’ İyad el-Baghdadi, Twitter, 1:36 p.m., 25 July 2016”
― Middle England
― Middle England
“Money has become the grand test of virtue. By this test beggars fail, and for this they are despised. If one could earn even ten pounds a week at begging, it would become a respectable profession immediately. A beggar, looked at realistically, is simply a businessman, getting his living, like other businessmen, in the way that comes to hand. He has not, more than most modem people, sold his honour; he has merely made the mistake of choosing a trade at which it is impossible to grow rich.”
― Down and Out in Paris and London
― Down and Out in Paris and London
“Perhaps it would be a good idea if everyone just stopped writing for a couple of years and allowed readers to catch up.”
― A Ladder to the Sky
― A Ladder to the Sky
Clare James’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Clare James’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
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