Simon Raven was an English novelist, best known for his series of novels Alms for Oblivion. The series is a satirical examination of upper-class English life in the mid-twentieth century, and was praised for its acerbic wit and incisive social commentary. Raven himself was a controversial figure, known for his rakish lifestyle and his tendency to court scandal.
The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.
Simon Raven – Alms for Oblivion
In the end, it is the survivors who are the strongest.
Simon Raven – Alms for Oblivion
Money speaks sense in a language all nations understand.
Simon Raven – Alms for Oblivion
One must be ruthless to attain one’s ambitions.
Simon Raven – Alms for Oblivion
Love is an illusion, but a necessary one.
Simon Raven – Alms for Oblivion
Power without principle is barren, but principle without power is futile.
Simon Raven – Alms for Oblivion
There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written, that is all.
Simon Raven – Alms for Oblivion
Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind.
Simon Raven – Alms for Oblivion
Fear of death increases in exact proportion to increase in wealth.
Simon Raven – Alms for Oblivion
Every man desires to live long, but no man wishes to be old.
Simon Raven – Alms for Oblivion