54 Quotes by Raymond Queneau

When Ulysses hears his own story sung by an epic poet and then he reveals his identity and the poet wants to continue singing, Ulysses isn't interested any longer. That's very astonishing.

When One made love to Zero, spheres embraced their arches and prime numbers caught their breath

We think of giving importance to history, but it is the individual who is interesting, and we want to give him a historical importance.

In the Odyssey, there are technical refinements which are extremely remarkable, and I'm surprised they aren't mentioned more often.

The poet is never inspired, because he is the master of that which appears to others as inspiration. He does not wait for inspiration to fall out of the heavens like roasted ortolans. He knows how to hunt...He is never inspired because he is unceasingly inspired, because the powers of poetry are always at his disposition, subjected to his will, submissive to his own activity...

True stories deal with hunger, imaginary ones with love.

Happy nations have no history. History is the study of mankind's misfortune.

All confessions are Odysseys.

All societies are historical.