52 Quotes by Nathanael West

Man spends a great deal of time making order out of chaos, yet insists that the emotions be disordered. I order my emotions: I am insane.

Feeling is of the heart and nerves and the crudeness of its expression has nothing to do with its intensity.

Only those who still have hope can benefit from tears. When they finish, they feel better. But to those without hope, whose anguish is basic and permanent, no good comes from crying. Nothing changes for them. They usually know this, but still can’t help crying.

No dream ever entirely disappears. Somewhere it troubles some unfortunate person and some day, when that person has been sufficiently troubled, it will be reproduced on the lot.

Every order has within it the germ of destruction. All order is doomed, yet the battle is worth while.

Crowds of people moved through the streets with a dream-like violence.

Prayers for the condemned man will be offered on an adding machine. Numbers constitute the only universal language.

Let him ride a horse. He’s a cowboy ain’t he?

It’s solitary drinking that makes drunkards.