"All good books have one thing in common - they are truer than if they had really happened"
- Ernest Hemingway
About this Quote
This quote by Ernest Hemingway speaks to the power of literature. He recommends that all excellent books have a truth to them, even if the events in the book never ever really occurred. This truth is greater than if the events had really taken place in reality. Hemingway is recommending that literature has the power to catch the essence of a scenario or emotion in such a way that reality can not. He is also indicating that literature can be more effective than reality, as it can catch the reality of a circumstance in such a way that truth can not. This quote speaks with the power of literature to record the truth of a circumstance in a way that reality can not. It also speaks with the power of literature to catch the essence of a circumstance or feeling in a way that truth can not. Hemingway's quote is a pointer of the power of literature to record the reality of a circumstance in a way that truth can not.