“What use is this valley to a family that comes from across the sea and knows nothing about the moon and the bonfires? You must have grown up there and have in in your bones, like wine and polenta, and then you know it without needing to speak about it and everything you have carried about inside you for so many years without knowing awakens now at the rattle of the chain on a cart, at the swish of an ox' tail, at the taste of a bowl of minestra, at the sound of a voice heard in the square at night.”

—  Cesare Pavese

Source: The moon and the bonfire (1950), Chapter X, p. 56

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "What use is this valley to a family that comes from across the sea and knows nothing about the moon and the bonfires? Y…" by Cesare Pavese?
Cesare Pavese photo
Cesare Pavese137
Italian poet, novelist, literary critic, and translator 1908–1950

Related quotes

“The thing I worry about in Europe is that there is a logic of escalation in some of this. That the people whose voices aren’t heard have to do things to make their voices heard. Do you know what I mean? They’ll have to, you know, like, demonstrate and that kind of thing.”

Christopher Caldwell (1962) American political writer

Interview with Bill Kristol (March 2017)

Robert Ley photo

“You know we have this new poison gas - I've heard about it. The Fuehrer must do it. He must use it. Now he has to do it!”

Robert Ley (1890–1945) Nazi politician

To Albert Speer, autumn of 1944. Quoted in "Inside the Third Reich: Memoirs" - Page 417 - by Albert Speer - History - 1970

Gabrielle Zevin photo

“You know everything you need to know about a person from the answer to the question”

Gabrielle Zevin (1977) American writer

Source: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

“A couple of times in your life, it happens like that. You meet a stranger, and all you know is that you need to know everything about him.”

Lisa Kleypas (1964) American writer

Source: Sugar Daddy

Sterling Hayden photo

“If you are contemplating a voyage and you have the means, abandon the venture until your fortunes change. Only then will you know what the sea is all about.”

Sterling Hayden (1916–1986) American actor

Book I : Man at Bay, Ch. 5
Wanderer (1963)
Context: To be truly challenging, a voyage, like a life, must rest on a firm foundation of financial unrest. Otherwise you are doomed to a routine traverse, the kind known to yachtsmen, who play with their boats at sea — "cruising," it is called. Voyaging belongs to seamen, and to the wanderers of the world who cannot, or will not, fit in. If you are contemplating a voyage and you have the means, abandon the venture until your fortunes change. Only then will you know what the sea is all about.

Allen Ginsberg photo

“To gain your own voice you have to forget about having it heard.”

Allen Ginsberg (1926–1997) American poet

“You know, it’s a funny thing about filmmaking, you always think you know just about everything, and you’ve done just about everything ever, and then you realize with your next project, “Holy hell, I haven’t had this challenge yet!” So, I think what I’ve learned is never to assume I know everything. Even, in all modesty, it’s been a pretty extensive, long-running career and I’m very fortunate. Like I said, never ever assume you know what you’re doing until you’ve studied everything, because everything is different and everything is new, and every day is new. You have to be on your toes and smart about it. That’s what I’ve learned over all those years”

George Mihalka (1953) film director

Interview – George Mihalka https://crypticrock.com/interview-george-mihalka/ (October 31, 2017)

Rush Limbaugh photo

“You know I have always tried to be honest with you and open about my life, so I need to tell you that part of what you have heard and read is correct. I am addicted to prescription pain medication.”

Rush Limbaugh (1951) U.S. radio talk show host, Commentator, author, and television personality

The Rush Limbaugh Show
2003-10-10, quoted in * 2004-02-15
Taking on Rush
Frank
Cerabino
The Palm Beach Post
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/news/limbaugh/021504_limbaugh.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20040624220725/http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/news/limbaugh/021504_limbaugh.html
2004-06-24

Jack Johnson (musician) photo

“And I don't pretend to know what you know
no no
now please don't pretend to know what's on my mind
if we already knew everything that everybody knows
we would have nothing to learn tonight
and we would have nothing to show tonight
oh but everybody thinks
that everybody knows
about everybody else
nobody knows
anything about themselves
cause they're all worried about everybody else.”

Jack Johnson (musician) (1975) American musician

Wasting Time.
Song lyrics, On and On (2003)

Related topics