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John Fante Quotes
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John Fante was an American novelist, short story writer and screenwriter. He is best known for his semi-autobiographical novel Ask the Dust about the life of a struggling writer, Arturo Bandini, in Depression-era Los Angeles. It is widely considered the great Los Angeles novel and is one in a series of four, published between 1938 and 1985, that are now collectively called "The Bandini Quartet". Ask the Dust was adapted into a film made in 2006, starring Colin Farrell. In his lifetime, Fante published five novels, one novella, and a short story collection. Additional works, including two novels, two novellas, and two short story collections, were published posthumously. His screenwriting credits include, most notably, Full of Life , based on his 1952 novel by that name, Jeanne Eagels , and the 1962 films Walk on the Wild Side and The Reluctant Saint. Wikipedia  

✵ 8. April 1909 – 8. May 1983  •  Other names جان فانته, Џон Фанте, جون فانتي, ჯონ ფანტე
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John Fante: 113 quotes6 likes

John Fante Quotes

“Then she came out of the kitchen with a glass of milk in her hand. "Here," she offered. "A cool drink." But it wasn't cool at all, it was almost hot, and there was a yellowish scum on the top, and sipping it I tasted her lips and the strong food she ate, a taste of rye bread and Camembert cheese.”

John Fante book Ask the Dust

Ask the Dust (1939)

“Nobody crossed him without a battle. He disliked almost everything, particularly his wife, his children, his neighbors, his church, his priest, his town, his state, his country, and the country from which he emigrated. Nor did he give a damn for the world either, or the sun or the stars, or the universe, or heaven or hell. But he liked women.”

John Fante book The Brotherhood of the Grape

The Brotherhood of the Grape (1977)

“Tonight there was music in the saloon, a piano and a violin; two fat women with hard masculine faces and short haircuts. Their song was Over the Waves.”

John Fante book Ask the Dust

Ta de da da, and I watched Camilla dancing with her beer tray. Her hair was so black, so deep and clustered, like grapes hiding her neck. This was a sacred place, this saloon. Everything here was holy, the chairs, the tables, that rag in her hand, that sawdust under her feet. She was a Mayan princess and this was her castle. I watched the tattered huaraches glide across the floor, and I wanted those huaraches. I would like them to hold in my hands against my chest when I fell asleep. I would like to hold them and breathe the odor of them.
Ask the Dust (1939)

“The afternoon moved like lava.”

John Fante book The Road to Los Angeles

Source: The 'Arturo Bandini' novels, The Road to Los Angeles (written 1935; published in 1985), Ch.20 - p.371