Paul Theroux: “In the short run, criticism seems to have merit; in the end, criticism is useless—a good book has a long life in spite of anything said about it.” I’m not sure I agree, but I did find this idea somewhat thrilling. https://thecollidescope.com/2024/05/30/the-grit-that-makes-the-pearl-an-interview-with-paul-theroux/