Quotes from Bec

Darren Shan ·  241 pages

Rating: (10.5K votes)


“Bran,” I sob. “You have to go.” He just smiles. “Bran! You must!” Again the smile. He won't leave. He'll be my faithful friend forever. He'd rather die by my side than skip free without me. I return the smile. “Very well,” I sigh and reach out a hand. Bran takes it, expecting only my touch. But what he gets on top of that is the last of my magic. A swift, improvised spell. I reach into his mind and send an image into his thoughts, of the hole, him dashing out of it, racing through the cave and not coming back. And then, with all the magical force I can muster, I yell at him— “Run fast!
― Darren Shan, quote from Bec


“Man wasn't made to share the universe with gods. Their ways are not meant for the humble likes of us. But we've decoded some of their secrets regardless. Like worms, we've grabbed on to the talons of eagles and learnt some small truths and means of flight. But we can never really fly. We try, and succeed to a certain extent, but the fall is always—will always be—there. To be a druid is to embrace death, dance with it a while and finally fall prey to it. That is why we'll never rule this world. We have the power to bend all men to our whim, but are forever pushing ourselves further, trying to fly higher… and falling.”
― Darren Shan, quote from Bec


“Watching the hole in the ever-fading light. It’s the size of a baby now, closing all the time. Narrower and narrower, until there’s barely room to fit an arm through. I’m thinking about quenching the light before the hole shuts—this is just torture—when a face suddenly appears. It’s Bran. The spell has passed and he’s come back. He wants to get through, to be with me. But the hole’s too small. He punches it, pulls at it, slips his fingers into the gap and strains with all his might—but it’s no good. The rock continues to grind together. The hole gets smaller, the width of a finger now.
At the last moment, Bran presses his mouth up to the hole and roars with raw pain and loss, at the top of his voice, “Bec!” It’s the only time he’s ever uttered my name. Anyone’s name. His anguished cry stabs at my heart and tears spring to my eyes. I open my mouth to shout his own name back, to offer whatever small shred of comfort I can… but then the rock closes all the way and a fierce rumbling drowns out the echoes of Bran’s cry.
I stare at the solid rock. My mouth closes. The light fades. Darkness.”
― Darren Shan, quote from Bec


“Better to die for my people in my own land than rule in another and suffer a lifetime of cowardly guilt.”
― Darren Shan, quote from Bec


“To be a druid is to embrace death, dance with it a while, and finally fall prey to it. That is why we'll never rule this world. We have the power to bend all men to our whim, but are forever pushing ourselves further,trying to fly higher...and falling”
― Darren Shan, quote from Bec



“So easy to take it for granted, but this is something no normal human was made to see. The world of magic has blessed me with wonders and it's only right to stop every now and then to appreciate it.”
― Darren Shan, quote from Bec


“Man wasn't made to share the universe with gods. Their ways are not meant for the humble likes of us. But we've decoded some of their secrets regardless. Like worms, we've grabbed on to the talons of eagles and learned some small truths and means of flight. But we can never really fly. We try, and succeed to a certain extent, but the fall is always - will always be - there.”
― Darren Shan, quote from Bec


“I always knew there was power in the earth, but it must be much stronger than I imagined to resist such a relentless foe, day after day, night after night, year after year.”
― Darren Shan, quote from Bec


“As a warrior, she won't have allowed herself to mourn. But women can't make themselves as detached as men. Our hearts are bigger. We feel loss in a way men don't. Orna has the body and mind of a warrior but her heart is like mine, and I know inside she's weeping.”
― Darren Shan, quote from Bec


“This world was made to be cloaked in gray.
It wouldn’t feel natural if the sun shone brightly all the time.”
― Darren Shan, quote from Bec



“Her fear was infectious, and though I was too young to truly know terror, I felt it in my heart and trembled.”
― Darren Shan, quote from Bec


“Though I’m tempted by the call of the sea, I resist.
It can’t claim me.
In a way I’m stronger than the waves and I feel good about that.”
― Darren Shan, quote from Bec


“The urge to throw myself over the edge is strong.
To die so beautifully, so perfectly…
To fly for a handful of seconds…
Become part of the sea, dashed against the rocks until I’m nothing, then swept away to the Otherworld in the company of fish, mermaids, and all the other creatures of the deep…”
― Darren Shan, quote from Bec


“Like worms, we’ve grabbed on to the talons of eagles and learned some small truths and means of flight.”
― Darren Shan, quote from Bec


“The world might be going up in flames, but we have to carry on as normal”
― Darren Shan, quote from Bec



“Man wasn't made to share the universe with gods.”
― Darren Shan, quote from Bec


“Like worms, we’ve grabbed on to the talons of eagles and learned some small truths and means of flight.
But we can never really fly.
We try, and succeed to a certain extent, but the fall is always — will always be — there.”
― Darren Shan, quote from Bec


“We have the power to bend all men to our whim, but are forever pushing ourselves further, trying to fly higher… and falling.”
― Darren Shan, quote from Bec


“Our eyes were on the Other-world, the stars, the gods.
We didn’t keep watch on the world around us.
And when we eventually lowered our heads and studied the waters closer to home, it was too late.”
― Darren Shan, quote from Bec


“My thoughts were a jumble.
I experienced the world in bewildering fragments and flashes.”
― Darren Shan, quote from Bec



About the author

Darren Shan
Born place: in London, The United Kingdom
See more on GoodReads

Popular quotes

“I think we're given multiple chances to meet multiple soulmates. Sure, you could meet a soulmate in highschool. But that doesn't mean if you don't act on it, you'll never meet anyone else. You will, just at a time that's more convenient for you.”
― Meg Cabot, quote from How to Be Popular


“His features were Middle Eastern, his eyes haunted but also defiant. They were all defiant, Gray had found. When he looked at someone like al-Omari, Gray couldn’t help but think of a Dostoyevsky creation, the displaced outsider, brooding, plotting and methodically stroking a weapon of anarchy. It was the face of a fanatic, of one possessed by a deranged evil. It was the same type of person who’d taken away forever the two people Gray had loved most in the world. Though al-Omari was thousands of miles away in a facility only a very few people even knew existed, the picture and sound were crystal clear thanks to the satellite downlink. Through his headset he asked al-Omari a question in English. The man promptly answered in Arabic and then smiled triumphantly. In flawless Arabic Gray said, “Mr. al-Omari, I am fluent in Arabic and can actually speak it better than you. I know that you lived in England for years and that you speak English better than you do Arabic. I strongly suggest that we communicate in that language so there is absolutely no misunderstanding between us.” Al-Omari’s smile faded, and he sat straighter in his chair. Gray explained his proposal. Al-Omari was to become a spy for the United States, infiltrating one of the deadliest terrorist organizations operating in the Middle East. The man promptly refused. Gray persisted and al-Omari refused yet again, adding that “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” “There are currently ninety-three terrorist organizations in the world as recognized by the U.S. State Department, most of them originating in the Middle East,” Gray responded. “You have confirmed membership in at least three of them. In addition, you were found with forged passports, structural plans to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge and bomb-making material. Now you’re going to work for us, or it will become distinctly unpleasant.” Al-Omari smiled and leaned toward the camera. “I was interrogated years ago in Jordan by your CIA and your military and your FBI, your so-called Tiger Teams. They sent females in wearing only their underwear. They wiped their menstrual blood on me, or at least what they called their menstrual blood, so I was unclean and could not perform my prayers. They rubbed their bodies against me, offered me sex if I talk. I say no to them and I am beaten afterward.” He sat back. “I have been threatened with rape, and they say I will get AIDS from it and die. I do not care. True followers of Muhammad do not fear death as you Christians do. It is your greatest weakness and will lead to your total destruction. Islam will triumph. It is written in the Qur’an. Islam will rule the world.”
― David Baldacci, quote from The Camel Club


“It is beyond any man’s wisdom to judge the secret heart of another,” he said, “for in it are good and evil mixed.”
― Lloyd Alexander, quote from The High King


“I’m. Not. A. Victim!” I growled low and clearly pronounced each word. “No? Then what are you?” he asked, angered by my words. “I’m a survivor.”
― Amelia Hutchins, quote from Fighting Destiny


“Oh, if you’re a bird, be an early bird And catch the worm for your breakfast plate. If you’re a bird, be an early bird But if you’re a worm, sleep late.”
― Cornelia Funke, quote from The Inkheart Trilogy: Inkheart, Inkspell, Inkdeath


Interesting books

The Life Before Us ("Madame Rosa'')
(9.5K)
The Life Before Us (...
by Romain Gary
The Upright Thinkers: The Human Journey from Living in Trees to Understanding the Cosmos
(1K)
The Upright Thinkers...
by Leonard Mlodinow
This Momentary Marriage: A Parable of Permanence
(2.8K)
This Momentary Marri...
by John Piper
Leviathan Wakes
(98.6K)
The Life of Anna: The Complete Story
(1.1K)
The Life of Anna: Th...
by Marissa Honeycutt
The Diamond Age
(70K)
The Diamond Age
by Neal Stephenson

About BookQuoters

BookQuoters is a community of passionate readers who enjoy sharing the most meaningful, memorable and interesting quotes from great books. As the world communicates more and more via texts, memes and sound bytes, short but profound quotes from books have become more relevant and important. For some of us a quote becomes a mantra, a goal or a philosophy by which we live. For all of us, quotes are a great way to remember a book and to carry with us the author’s best ideas.

We thoughtfully gather quotes from our favorite books, both classic and current, and choose the ones that are most thought-provoking. Each quote represents a book that is interesting, well written and has potential to enhance the reader’s life. We also accept submissions from our visitors and will select the quotes we feel are most appealing to the BookQuoters community.

Founded in 2023, BookQuoters has quickly become a large and vibrant community of people who share an affinity for books. Books are seen by some as a throwback to a previous world; conversely, gleaning the main ideas of a book via a quote or a quick summary is typical of the Information Age but is a habit disdained by some diehard readers. We feel that we have the best of both worlds at BookQuoters; we read books cover-to-cover but offer you some of the highlights. We hope you’ll join us.