A must-have for language lovers, this compendium contains hundreds of
mind-stretching observations that are contradictory or illogical on one
level, yet true, witty, and often profound on another.
ox-y-mor-on-i-ca (OK-se-mor-ON-uh-ca) noun: Any variety of
tantalizing, self-contradictory statements or observations that on the
surface appear false or illogical, but at a deeper level are profoundly
true.
For example:
"Melancholy is the pleasure of being sad."
--Victor Hugo
"To lead the people, walk behind them."
--Lao-tzu
"You'd be surprised how much it costs to look this cheap."
--Dolly Parton
For over a decade Dr. Mardy Grothe has delighted readers with this
collection of 1,400 of the most provocative quotations of all time. From
ancient thinkers like Confucius, Aristotle and Saint Augustine, to great
writers like Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde and G. B. Shaw, to modern social
observers like Woody Allen and Lily Tomlin, Oxymoronica celebrates the
power and beauty of paradoxical thinking. All areas of human activity
are explored, including love, sex, romance, politics, the arts, marriage
and family, and, of course, the literary life. Sure to grab the
attention of language lovers everywhere, the wise and witty observations
in this book are as entertaining as they are intellectually nourishing.
