Oxymoronica: Paradoxical Wit and Wisdom from History’s Greatest Wordsmiths

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.