Francois Truffaut on the set of Shoot the Piano Player (1960, via François Truffaut: The Complete Films)
“I shall wind up my defense of criticism by observing that excessively kind notices, coming from all sides and lasting a career, can sterilize an artist more effectively than the cold shower that wakes one up to real life. That must have been what Jean Paulhan had in mind when he wrote, ‘Bad reviews preserve an author better than alcohol preserves a piece of fruit.’”
-Francois Truffaut, What Do Critics Dream About? (1975)