Just like those who are incurably ill, the aged know everything about their dying except exactly when.
Meaning of the quote
The quote means that older people, like those who are very sick and can't be cured, know a lot about what it's like to die, but they don't know exactly when they will die. Even though they can sense that their life is coming to an end, the exact moment of their death is still a mystery.
About Philip Roth
Philip Roth was an acclaimed American novelist and short story writer, known for his intensely autobiographical works, philosophical explorations of reality and fiction, and provocative examinations of American identity. He received numerous prestigious awards, including the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, and is considered one of the greatest American novelists of his era.
Tags
More quotes from Philip Roth
Is an intelligent human being likely to be much more than a large-scale manufacturer of misunderstanding?
American novelist (1933-2018)
Unless one is inordinately fond of subordination, one is always at war.
American novelist (1933-2018)
Fear tends to manifest itself much more quickly than greed, so volatile markets tend to be on the downside. In up markets, volatility tends to gradually decline.
American novelist (1933-2018)
A Jew without Jews, without Judaism, without Zionism, without Jewishness, without a temple or an army or even a pistol, a Jew clearly without a home, just the object itself, like a glass or an apple.
American novelist (1933-2018)
Obviously the facts are never just coming at you but are incorporated by an imagination that is formed by your previous experience. Memories of the past are not memories of facts but memories of your imaginings of the facts.
American novelist (1933-2018)
Should you protect profits? Yes. But run for the hills? No.
American novelist (1933-2018)
A Jewish man with parents alive is a fifteen-year-old boy, and will remain a fifteen-year-old boy until they die!
American novelist (1933-2018)
When you publish a book, it’s the world’s book. The world edits it.
American novelist (1933-2018)
The road to hell is paved with works-in-progress.
American novelist (1933-2018)
Just like those who are incurably ill, the aged know everything about their dying except exactly when.
American novelist (1933-2018)
History… is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake.
American novelist (1933-2018)