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About this quote

What does it mean?
Turning wine to blood is a miracle, but turning air to wine represents a deeper narrative shift.
In plain terms
Changing reality is harder than performing a miracle.
What can you take from it?
Narrative change is harder than physical transformation.

Where it applies

  • writing
  • philosophy
  • religious discussion

Putting it to work

  • focus on story change
  • accept human limits

Questions to consider

  • What is harder, magic or meaning?
  • How do we change stories?

Another view

Physical changes are actually quite difficult too.

More from Graham Greene

  1. The moment comes when a character does or says something you hadn't thought about. At that moment he's alive and you leave it to him.

    Permalink to quote #16
  2. Success is more dangerous than failure, the ripples break over a wider coastline.

    Permalink to quote #18
  3. A major character has to come somehow out of the unconscious.

    Permalink to quote #15

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