Gunter Grass

As a child I was a great liar. Fortunately my mother liked my lies. I promised her marvelous things. ↗

— Gunter Grass

#fortunately #great #her #i #liar

Everyone is born into a certain era. I wouldn't want to see anyone faced with the circumstances that prevailed at the time, when there were few or no alternatives. ↗

— Gunter Grass

#anyone #born #certain #circumstances #era

I'm always astonished by a forest. It makes me realise that the fantasy of nature is much larger than my own fantasy. I still have things to learn. ↗

— Gunter Grass

#astonished #fantasy #forest #i #larger

Often I had to imagine the things I needed. I learned very early to read amidst noise. And so I started writing and drawing at an early age. ↗

— Gunter Grass

#amidst #drawing #early #early age #had

Art is accusation, expression, passion. Art is a fight to the finish between black charcoal and white paper. ↗

— Gunter Grass

#art #between #black #charcoal #expression

Even bad books are books and therefore sacred. ↗

— Gunter Grass

#books #even #sacred #therefore

I belonged to the generation that grew up under National Socialism, and was blinded and led astray - and allowed itself to be led astray. ↗

— Gunter Grass

#astray #belonged #blinded #generation #grew

I did not volunteer for the Waffen SS, but was, as were thousands of my year group, conscripted. I did not then know as a 17-year-old that it was a criminal unit. I thought it was an elite unit. ↗

— Gunter Grass

#did #elite #group #i #know

I have found that words that are loaded with pathos and create a seductive euphoria are apt to promote nonsense. ↗

— Gunter Grass

#create #euphoria #found #i #loaded

I have often supported Israel, I have often visited the country and want the country to exist and at last find peace with its neighbours. ↗

— Gunter Grass

#exist #find #i #israel #last