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4967f30 My God," Franny would say later. "They would bring their daughter to see a murder, but they wouldn't even let her hear about an orgasm. Americans sure are strange." John Irving
be425b8 Every misunderstanding has at its center a breakdown of language. John Irving
419a757 A personal injustice is stronger motivation than any instinct of philanthropy John Irving
54acd6b Why does it seem to take more than half a lifetime to get to be a lousy teenager? Why does childhood take forever - when you're a child? Why does it seem to occupy a solid three-quarters of the whole trip? And when it's over, when the kids grow up, when you suddenly have to face facts...well," Frank said to me, just recently, "you know the story. When we were in the first Hotel New Hampshire, it seemed we'd go on being thirteen and fourteen.. John Irving
e5ce193 It was as if all the books in her room had been feeding on her, had consumed - not nourished - her. John Irving
fee3d0a There are many unintentionally cruel talents that the world, indiscriminately, hands out to us. Whether we can use these gifts we never asked for is not the worlds concern. talent John Irving
4a784c5 Most self-destructive behavior is simply ridiculous--never mind how complexly compelled by personal demons. John Irving
8c1721c You just go up the Hudson," I told him. "Sure, man," he said. "Up the what?" John Irving
941219d I should know better than to read even as much as a headline in The New York Times; although, as I've often pointed out to my students at Bishop Strachan this newspaper's use of the semicolon is exemplary. Reagan Declares Firmness on Gulf; Plans are Unclear Isn't that classic? I don't mean the semicolon; I mean, isn't that just what the world needs? Unclear firmness! That is typical American policy: don't be clear, but be firm! John Irving
77f049c What do Americans know about morality? They don't want their presidents to have penises but they don't mind if their presidents covertly arrange to support the Nicaraguan rebel forces after Congress has restricted such aid; they don't want their presidents to deceive their wives but they don't mind if their presidents deceive Congress - lie to the people and violate the people's constitution! What Mr. Hart should have said was that nothing .. John Irving
c1c3021 These same people who tell us we must defend the lives of the unborn--they are the same people who seem not so interested in defending anyone but themselves after the accident of birth is complete! These same people who profess their love of the unborn's soul--they don't care to make much of a contribution to the poor, they don't care to offer much assistance to the unwanted or the oppressed! How do they justify such a concern for the fetus.. John Irving
1d033a5 And Clark clearly knew and disapproved of El Nido. (A nido could be a nest, a den, a hole, a haunt.) John Irving
a5d41f8 That poor girl wasn't a girl," Senor Eduardo said; he'd glanced once at Lupe, asleep in his lap, just to be sure she was still sleeping. "That poor girl was Flor," John Irving
26df0f0 But Brother Pepe put reading on a pedestal; he was a Jesuit because the Jesuits had made him a reader and introduced him to Jesus, not necessarily in that order. It was best not to ask Pepe if reading or Jesus had saved him, or which one had saved him more. John Irving
bbdd2b8 I'm not a fortune-teller!" Lupe said, but Juan Diego didn't translate this. "The woman you want is Soledad," Vargas said to Edward Bonshaw. "What woman? I don't want a woman!" the new missionary cried; he'd imagined that Dr. Vargas had misunderstood what a vow of celibacy entailed. "Not a woman for you, Mr. Celibacy," Vargas said. "I mean the woman you need to talk to, on behalf of the kids. Soledad is the woman who looks after the kids at .. John Irving
396ceff Wasn't this the point Juan Diego had made repeatedly? Women readers kept fiction alive--here was another one. When Juan Diego had used Spanish in crying out the scholastic's name, the Chinese girl knew she'd been right about who he was. John Irving
dd173cc But Vienna was in its death phase; it lay still and let me look at it, and think about it, and look again. In a living city, I could never have noticed so much. Living cities don't hold still. John Irving
a78f278 Writers who have any audience have more readers than they know. Juan Diego was more famous than he thought. John Irving
f835758 When the deranged rooster crowed a third time, his crowing was cut off mid-squawk. "There, that does it," Miriam said. "No more heralding of a false dawn, no more untruthful messengers." John Irving
0a3654e I really like the sex in your novels," Dorothy told him. "I like how you do it." "I like it better," Miriam said to him, giving her daughter an all-knowing look. "I have the perspective to know what really bad sex is," Dorothy's mom told her. "Please, Mother--don't paint us a picture," Dorothy said." John Irving
936f089 Kad vam umre osoba koju volite, a vi to ne ocekujete, ne gubite je odjednom. Gubite je dugo, u komadicima - bas kao sto prestaje dolaziti posta s njezinim imenom i njen miris lagano blijedi s jastuka, pa cak i s odjece u njenom ormaru i ladicama. I bas kada dode dan u kojem vas neki poseban komadic koji nedostaje preplavi osjecajem da je nestala zauvijek, dode drugi dan i neki drugi poseban komadic. John Irving
2b6c740 Watch out for people who call themselves religious; make sure you know what they mean-- make sure they know what they mean! John Irving
b0284e5 Whoa!" cried the Crucified Christ--he looked more like the Drowned Christ at the moment, and the whoa word was a foreign-sounding one to the Spanish-speaking kindergartners. Four or five of the terrified children instantly wet their pants; one little girl shrieked so loudly that several girls and boys bit their tongues. Those kindergartners nearest the door to the bedroom bolted through the bedroom, screaming, and raced into the hall. Those.. John Irving
585540b I suppose that the main drive is to find the edge of something and then throw myself over it. Alan Moore
2d86aff A very merry, dancing, drinking,Laughing, quaffing, and unthinking time. Merriment
dde4fd1 And mo the merier is a Prouerbe eke. Merriment
2fc2da3 It was remarkable to Julia--(it did not hurt or offend her, but only amused her)--how Ryan's family managed to take photographs or videos of themselves that excluded her. Joyce Carol Oates
f98aa3a In her behavior Mrs. S----was youthful and loud-talking which made us uneasy, for children are not comfortable when adults behave as if they are not adults. Often it seemed that Mrs. S----was winking at us as if there was some joke between her and us, unexplained. Joyce Carol Oates
f64e7e8 You could be thoroughly an intellectual while not surrendering maleness; you could not be so totally intellectual and not surrender some degree of femaleness. Joyce Carol Oates
2ae1843 A merry heart doeth good like a medicine. Merriment
6e61e05 Murder? Don't talk to me about murder. I invented murder! Alan Moore
0aa63f7 We're all puppets, Laurie. I'm just a puppet who can see the strings. Alan Moore
a07823b 'Tis merry in hallWhere beards wag all. Merriment
98bbba7 Memories so treacherous... Alan Moore
a87f955 To watch boxing closely, and seriously, is to risk moments of what might be called animal panic--a sense not only that something very ugly is happening but that, by watching it, one is an accomplice. This awareness, or revelation, or weakness, or hairline split in one's cuticle of a self can come at any instant, unanticipated and unbidden; though of course it tends to sweep over the viewer when he is watching a really violent match. I feel .. Joyce Carol Oates
71fe207 Dominique (who, like other Catamount girls, had a cache of pills for every occasion) offered me a bennie- Benzedrine?- to elevate my spirits. Adamantly I told her, No thanks! I wanted to face what's called reality with my eyes open. I've made that a principle for my life. Sometimes I wonder if this has been a wise decision. principle reality Joyce Carol Oates
1eddfbd Traicao e uma coisa dolorosa. Traicao e a ferida mais profunda. Traicao e o que resta do amor depois que o amor acaba. Joyce Carol Oates
84baebc Voce tem o desejo de por a culpa neles, nos que foram assassinados. Sem duvida que deseja por a culpa em qualquer mulher nua e estrangulada na propria cama. Joyce Carol Oates
163bedf Mulheres eram especialistas em chorar, assim como os homens eram humilhados e impedidos de chorar. Mulheres eram purificadas pelo choro, assim como os homens eram maculados e manchados pelo choro. Joyce Carol Oates
e5d0d1b misinterpreting her silence for a broken heart, her cynicism about men for depression, ir despondency [...] Joyce Carol Oates
ad2fa6f Nunca soube de ninguem que tenha tido a vida salva por um bebe. Joyce Carol Oates
ad2a584 Como isso acontece, voce gosta tanto de alguem -- ama alguem, talvez -- e depois, nao muito tempo depois, o que sente e odio? Um odio horrivel e funesto? Um odio de vontade de matar? Por que? Joyce Carol Oates
059626e Voce pode fingir ser quase tudo que nao e, ha pouquissimas coisas que de fato se pode ser. Joyce Carol Oates
b67161c The writer understands how deeply mysterious the 'familiar' really is. How strangely opaque, what we've seen a thousand times. And how inconsolable a loss, when the taken-for-granted is finally taken from us. Joyce Carol Oates