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About this quote

What does it mean?
Barnes recounts a cynical joke about Hemingway's memoirs being poorly written yet authentic.
In plain terms
Bad writing proves the book is real, not ghosted.
What can you take from it?
Flaws can signal authenticity in creative work.

Where it applies

  • reading memoirs
  • publishing discussions
  • literary gossip

Putting it to work

  • valuing raw drafts
  • questioning polished texts
  • analyzing authorship

Questions to consider

  • Does bad writing mean honesty?
  • Who really writes celebrity memoirs?

Another view

Poor writing does not guarantee truth; it may just indicate lack of skill.

More from Julian Barnes

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