J. B. Priestley Novelist
- Gender: Male
- Citizenship: United Kingdom
- Born: Sep 13, 1894
- Died: Aug 14, 1984
John Boynton Priestley, OM, known as J. B. Priestley, was an English novelist, playwright and broadcaster.
His Yorkshire background is reflected in much of his fiction, notably in The Good Companions, which first brought him to wide public notice. Many of his plays are structured around a time-slip, and he went on to develop a new theory of time, with different dimensions that link past, present and future.
In 1940, he broadcast a series of short propaganda talks that were credited with saving civilian morale during the Battle of Britain. His left-wing beliefs brought him into conflict with the government, but influenced the birth of the Welfare State.
If we openly declare what is wrong with us, what is our deepest need, then perhaps the death and despair will by degrees disappear.
death
We pay when old for the excesses of youth.
aging
Comedy, we may say, is society protecting itself - with a smile.
humor, smile & society
Marriage is like paying an endless visit in your worst clothes.
marriage
To show a child what once delighted you, to find the child's delight added to your own - this is happiness.
happiness
The more we elaborate our means of communication, the less we communicate.
communication
When I was young there was no respect for the young, and now that I am old there is no respect for the old. I missed out coming and going.
respect
There was no respect for youth when I was young, and now that I am old, there is no respect for age, I missed it coming and going.
aging & respect
The greatest writers of this age... are aware of the mystery of our existence.
aging