Notable quotes, excerpts, and profound lines.

[FlorenceArt]

"A writer only begins a book. A reader finishes it."

Found on the Internet and attributed to Samuel Johnson. I was unable to confirm it.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by FlorenceArt

"A writer only begins a book. A reader finishes it."

Found on the Internet and attributed to Samuel Johnson. I was unable to confirm it.

http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/8491...er-finishes-it

[FlorenceArt]

Originally Posted by kennyc

http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/8491...er-finishes-it

Thanks

[BenG]

Every thing secret degenerates, even the administration of justice; nothing is safe that does not show how it can bear discussion and publicity.

John Emerich Edward Dalberg, 1st Baron Acton (1834–1902), British historian. letter, Jan. 23, 1861.
Lord Acton and his Circle, letter 74, ed. Abbot Gasquet (1906).

[kennyc]

“The next day, Mabel and Jet visited the battleground, and then Norma Jean was born, and then she married Leroy and they had a baby, which they lost, and now Leroy and Norma Jean are here at the same battleground. Leroy knows he is leaving out a lot. He is leaving out the insides of history. History was always just names and dates to him. It occurs to him that building a house out of logs is similarly empty—too simple. And the real inner workings of a marriage, like most of history, have escaped him. Now he sees that building a log house is the dumbest idea he could have had. It was clumsy of him to think Norma Jean would want a log house. It was a crazy idea.”
― Bobbie Ann Mason, Shiloh and Other Stories

[covingtoncat73]

"I compare human life to a large Mansion of Many Apartments, two of which I can only describe, the doors of the rest being as yet shut upon me — The first we step into we call the infant or thoughtless Chamber, in which we remain as long as we do not think — We remain there a long while, and notwithstanding the doors of the second Chamber remain wide open, showing a bright appearance, we care not to hasten to it; but are at length imperceptibly impelled by awakening of the thinking principle — within us — we no sooner get into the second Chamber, which I shall call the Chamber of Maiden-Thought, than we become intoxicated with the light and the atmosphere, we see nothing but pleasant wonders, and think of delaying there for ever in delight: However among the effects this breathing is father of is that tremendous one of sharpening one’s vision into the nature and heart of Man — of convincing one’s nerves that the World is full of misery and Heartbreak, Pain, sickness and oppression — whereby This Chamber of Maiden Thought becomes gradually darken’d and at the same time on all sides of it many doors are set open — but all dark — all leading to dark passages — We see not the balance of good and evil. We are in a Mist — We are now in that state — We feel the burden of the Mystery." ~ John Keats

[kennyc]

Writing books is the closest men ever come to childbearing.
- Norman Mailer
May 4, 1948: Pulitzer Prize-winner Norman Mailer published his first novel, the wartime saga The Naked and the Dead, 65 years ago today.

(and I don't think that is even close...)

[BenG]

You cannot save people, you can only love them.

-- Anaïs Nin,The Diary Of Anaïs Nin, Volume Two (1934-1939)

[kennyc]

There ain't no sin and there ain't no virtue. There's just stuff people do.
- John Steinbeck
May 6, 1940: John Steinbeck received a Pulitzer Prize for his best-seller, The Grapes of Wrath, 73 years ago today. The title, based on a lyric from "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," was suggested by his wife.

Goodreads quote of the day

[kennyc]

Every weirdo in the world is on my wavelength.
- Thomas Pynchon

[kennyc]

“So come with me, where dreams are born, and time is never planned. Just think of happy things, and your heart will fly on wings, forever, in Never Never Land!”
― J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan: Fairy Tales

[kennyc]

Just over three years ago I started this thread with a couple of wonderful poetry quotes:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...50&postcount=1

Thanks everyone for contributing such wonderful quotes and thereby reading recommendations!

Happy late birthday thread.

Never give up, never stop reading!

[Billi]

It's one of my all-time favourite threads here! Thanks for starting it!

[bfisher]

A few quotes from Albert Camus "Resistance, Rebellion and Death" which seem appropriate to the times we are now in.

"Defense of Intelligence" speech at L'Amitie Francaise meeting on 15 March 1945

"The most difficult battle to be won against the enemy in the future must be fought within ourselves, with an exceptional effort that will transform our appetite for hatred into a desire for justice. Not giving in to hated, not making any concessions to violence, not allowing our passions to become blind-"


speech made at the Dominican monastery of Latour-Maubourg in 1948

"the world needs real dialogue, that falsehood is just as much the opposite of dialogue as is silence, and that the only possible dialogue is the kind between people who remain what they are and speak their minds."

[bfisher]

several more quotes from Albert Camus "Resistance, Rebellion and Death" :

"For there is always something in us that yields to instinct, to contempt for intelligence, to the cult of efficiency. Our great virtues eventually become tiresome to us. We become ashamed of our intelligence, and sometimes we imagine some barbarous state where truth would be effortless." - First Letter to a German Friend, July 1943

"Police states ... when they oppress and exploit, they are merely doing their job, and whoever blindly entrusts them with the care of freedom has no right to be surprised when she is immediately dishonoured." Bread and Freedom (speech given at Saint-Etienne 10 May 1953)