“Most first novels are disguised autobiographies. This autobiography is a disguised novel.”

Opening lines to the preface, p. 9
Memoirs, Unreliable Memoirs (1980)

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Clive James151

Australian author, critic, broadcaster, poet, translator an… 1939–2019

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Context: I do not wish to seem to end upon a note of cynicism. I do not deny that there are better things than selfishness, and that some people achieve these things. I maintain, however, on the one hand, that there are few occasions upon which large bodies of men, such as politics is concerned with, can rise above selfishness, while, on the other hand, there are a very great many circumstances in which populations will fall below selfishness, if selfishness is interpreted as enlightened self-interest.
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