Quotes from Behind the Scenes at the Museum

“In the end, it is my belief, words are the only things that can construct a world that makes sense.”
― Kate Atkinson, quote from Behind the Scenes at the Museum

“I have been to the world's end and back and now I know what I would put in my bottom drawer. I would put my sisters.”
― Kate Atkinson, quote from Behind the Scenes at the Museum

“Patricia embraces me on the station platform. 'The past is what you leave behind in life, Ruby,' she says with the smile of a reincarnated lama. 'Nonsense, Patricia,' I tell her as I climb on board my train. 'The past's what you take with you.”
― Kate Atkinson, quote from Behind the Scenes at the Museum

“Sometimes I would like to cry. I close my eyes. Why weren't we designed so that we can close our ears as well? (Perhaps because we would never open them.) Is there some way that I could accelerate my evolution and develop earlids?”
― Kate Atkinson, quote from Behind the Scenes at the Museum

“Get down,' Bunty says grimly. 'Mummy's thinking.' (Although what Mummy's actually doing is wondering what it would be like if her entire family was wiped out and she could start again.)”
― Kate Atkinson, quote from Behind the Scenes at the Museum

“The past is a cupboard full of light and all you have to do is find the key that opens the door.”
― Kate Atkinson, quote from Behind the Scenes at the Museum

“As I watch, the sky fills with clouds of snow feathers from every kind of bird there ever was and even some that only exist in the imagination, like the bluebirds that fly over the rainbow.”
― Kate Atkinson, quote from Behind the Scenes at the Museum

“Slattern! What a wonderful new word. 'Slattern,' I murmur appreciatively to Patricia.
'Yes, slattern,' Bunty says firmly. 'That's what she is.'
'Not a slut like you then?' Patricia says very quietly. Loud enough to be heard, but too quiet to be believed.”
― Kate Atkinson, quote from Behind the Scenes at the Museum

“shop-bought cakes are a sign of sluttish housewifery.”
― Kate Atkinson, quote from Behind the Scenes at the Museum

“But I know nothing; my future is a wide-open vista, leading to an unknown country - The Rest Of My Life.”
― Kate Atkinson, quote from Behind the Scenes at the Museum

“words are the only things that can construct a world that makes sense.”
― Kate Atkinson, quote from Behind the Scenes at the Museum

“When Lillian left work in the early evening the streets were slick and shiny with rain and the lamps flared yellow giving her the melancholy feeling that always came with the rain and the dark. She’d just struggled to push up her umbrella when the farmer from Saskatchewan came out of the shadows and tipped his hat again, very politely, and said could he escort her home? She put her small hand on his broad arm and held the umbrella over both their heads (he was very tall) and he walked her all the way back to her lodging-house where the landlady, Mrs Raicevic, looked after Edmund after school. By then, Lillian had learned the farmer’s name and she said, ‘Edmund, this is Mr Donner,’ and Pete Donner squatted right down and said, ‘Hello there, Edmund, you can call me Pete.’ Although he never did, preferring to call him ‘Pop’ almost from the day his mother married him.”
― Kate Atkinson, quote from Behind the Scenes at the Museum

“The past is what you take with you.”
― Kate Atkinson, quote from Behind the Scenes at the Museum

“I am a jewel. I am a drop of blood. I am Ruby Lennox!”
― Kate Atkinson, quote from Behind the Scenes at the Museum

“They have no sense of humour whatsoever – even Bunty has a sense of humour compared with our hosts. They have united Prussian gloom and Presbyterian dourness in an awesome combination.”
― Kate Atkinson, quote from Behind the Scenes at the Museum

“O passado é aquilo que transportamos connosco”
― Kate Atkinson, quote from Behind the Scenes at the Museum

“There’s too much history in York, the past is so crowded that sometimes it feels as if there’s no room for the living.”
― Kate Atkinson, quote from Behind the Scenes at the Museum

“who is to say which of these is real and which a fiction? In the end, it is my belief, words are the only things that can construct a world that makes sense.”
― Kate Atkinson, quote from Behind the Scenes at the Museum

“feeling that always came with the rain and the dark. She’d just”
― Kate Atkinson, quote from Behind the Scenes at the Museum

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Popular quotes

“What I was trying to say,” he whispered, “is that I see you in everything. There isn’t a word for you that means enough, because you’re everything to me.”
― Veronica Rossi, quote from Into the Still Blue

“In the phrase ' human being,' the word 'being' is much more important than the word 'human.' ”
― Karen Joy Fowler, quote from We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves

“Isn't that the tie Lily bought for your birthday?"

Evan looked down to examine it. It was paisley, a kaleidoscope of color. "Yes it is, as a matter of fact. Good memory. What do you think? Too much?"

"It doesn't matter what I think."

"But you don't like it."

"I think that if you want to wear it, you should wear it."

Evan seemed momentarily undecided. "Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Refuse to answer a simple question."

"Because my opinion is irrelevant. You should wear what you want."

"Just tell me, okay?"

"I don't like your tie."

"Really? Why not?"

"Because it's ugly."

"It's not ugly."

Colin nodded. "Okay."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"Probably."

"You don't even wear ties."

"You're right."

"So why do I care what you think?"

"I don't know."

Evan scowled. "Talking to you can be infuriating, you know."

"I know. You've said that before."

"Of course I've said it before! Because it's true! Didn't we just talk about this the other night? You don't have to say whatever pops into your head."

"But you asked."

"Just ... Oh, forget it." He turned and started back toward the house. "I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Where are you going?"

Evan walked a couple of steps before answering without turning around. "To change my damn tie. And by the way Margolis was right. Your face still looks like it was run through a meat grinder."

Colin smiled. "Hey, Evan!"

Evan stopped and turned. "What?"

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"For everything."

"Yeah, yeah. You're just lucky I won't tell Lily what you said."

"You can if you'd like. I already told her."

Evan starred. "Of course you did.”
― Nicholas Sparks, quote from See Me

“Когато бях малък често се къпех заедно с мама и тя изобщо не си криеше гърдите от мен, дори можех да си играя с тях, но от няколко месеца тя реши, че вече ми е забранено и сега само татко има право да ги вижда, освен самата мама, разбира се. Странно нещо са женските гърди: в началото на живота носът ти постоянно е заврян в тях, а после малко по малко се отдръпват и идва един ден, в който дори нямаш право да ги виждаш. Но по телевизията и във филмите жените показват гърдите си пред всички, целите освен зърното, сякаш зърното съдържа някаква свещена тайна, а пък не е така. Най-често дори нямат мляко.”
― Nancy Huston, quote from Fault Lines

“I know that sometimes when you are really worried about something, it ends up not being nearly as bad as you think it will be, and you get to be relieved that you were just being silly, worrying so much over nothing. But sometimes it is just the opposite. It can happen that whatever you are worried about will be even worse than you could have possibly imagined, and you find that you were right to be worried, and even that, maybe, you weren't worried enough.”
― Laura Moriarty, quote from The Center of Everything

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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.

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