Quotes from Berlin Noir: March Violets / The Pale Criminal / A German Requiem

“I didn’t know you were interested in politics,’ I said. ‘I’m not,’ he said. ‘But isn’t that how Hitler got elected in the first place: too many people who didn’t give a shit who was running the country?”
― Philip Kerr, quote from Berlin Noir: March Violets / The Pale Criminal / A German Requiem

“Compared with the person who had decorated and furnished the place, the Archduke Ferdinand had been blessed with the taste of a troupe of Turkish circus dwarves.”
― Philip Kerr, quote from Berlin Noir: March Violets / The Pale Criminal / A German Requiem

“Πώς να περιγράψει κανείς το απερίγραπτο; Πώς μπορείς να μιλήσεις για κάτι που σε άφησε άφωνο από τρόμο; Υπάρχουν άλλοι, πολύ πιο ευφραδείς, που στάθηκαν ανίκανοι να βρουν τις κατάλληλες λέξεις, Πρόκειται για την σιωπή που γεννάει η ντροπή, αφού ακόμα και οι αθώοι είναι ένοχοι. Στερούμενος τα δικαιώματά του, ο άνθρωπος ξαναγίνεται ζώο. Οι πεινασμένοι κλέβουν απ' τους πεινασμένους. Η προσωπική επιβίωση αποτελεί την μόνη έγνοια. Μια έγνοια που καταπατά, ή και διαγράφει ακόμα, το οποιοδήποτε βίωμα. Σκοπός του Νταχάου ήταν να δουλεύεις μέχρι να καταστρέψεις την πνευματική σου υπόσταση. Ο θάνατος ήταν ένα αναπάντεχο υποπροϊόν. Για να επιβιώσεις εσύ, οι άλλοι έπρεπε να υποφέρουν για λογαριασμό σου. Όταν χτυπούσαν ή λιντσάριζαν κάποιον άλλο, εσύ ήσουν ασφαλής -έστω και για λίγο. Άλλοτε πάλι, για μερικές μέρες, έτρωγες την μερίδα του διπλανού σου, που είχε πεθάνει στον ύπνο του.”
― Philip Kerr, quote from Berlin Noir: March Violets / The Pale Criminal / A German Requiem

“with lawyers I always assume that they came by their wealth and position through avarice and by means nefarious:”
― Philip Kerr, quote from Berlin Noir: March Violets / The Pale Criminal / A German Requiem

“A first class professional nutcracker who might have done a job about a week ago; stolen some bells.”
― Philip Kerr, quote from Berlin Noir: March Violets / The Pale Criminal / A German Requiem

“Berlín. Yo adoraba esta vieja ciudad. Pero eso fue antes de que se mirara en su propio reflejo y le diera por llevar unos corsés tan ajustados que apenas podía respirar. Yo adoraba las filosofías fáciles y despreocupadas, el jazz barato, los cabarés vulgares y todos los demás excesos culturales que caracterizaron los años del Weimar y que hicieron de Berlín una de las ciudades más apasionantes del mundo.”
― Philip Kerr, quote from Berlin Noir: March Violets / The Pale Criminal / A German Requiem

“There are so many ways of escaping from that which one fears, and not the least of these is hatred.”
― Philip Kerr, quote from Berlin Noir: March Violets / The Pale Criminal / A German Requiem

“leaders.’ Nebe snorted and went back round his desk. ‘You’re going to have to watch your mouth, Bernie,’ he said, half-amused. ‘Get to the funny bit.’ ‘Well, it’s this. A number of recent reports, complaints if you like, made to Kripo by those related to institutionalized people leads me to suspect that some sort of mercy-killing is already being unofficially practised.’ I leant forward and grasped the bridge of my nose. ‘Do you ever get headaches? I get headaches. It’s smell that really sets them off. Paint smells pretty bad. So does formaldehyde in the mortuary. But the worst are those rotten pissing places you get where the dozers and rum-sweats sleep rough. That’s a smell I can recall in my worst nightmares. You know, Arthur, I thought I knew every bad smell there was in this city. But that’s last month’s shit fried with last year’s eggs.’ Nebe pulled open a drawer and took out a bottle and two glasses. He said nothing as he poured a couple of large ones. I threw it back and waited for the fiery spirit to seek out what was left of my heart and stomach. I nodded and let him pour me another. I said: ‘Just when you thought that things couldn’t get any worse, you find out that they’ve always been a lot worse than you thought they were. And then they get worse.’ I drained the second glass and then surveyed its empty shape. ‘Thanks for telling me straight, Arthur.’ I dragged myself to my feet. ‘And thanks for the warmer.’ ‘Please keep me informed about your suspect,’ he said. ‘You might consider letting a couple of your men work a friend-and-foe shift on him. No rough stuff, just a bit of the old-fashioned psychological pressure. You know the sort of thing I mean. Incidentally, how are you getting on with your team? Everything working out there? No resentments, or anything like that?’ I could have sat down again and given him a list of”
― Philip Kerr, quote from Berlin Noir: March Violets / The Pale Criminal / A German Requiem

“Frau Protze estaba limpiando el cristal del amarillento grabado de Tilly colgado de la pared de mi sala de espera, y observando con una cierta diversión los apuros del burgomaestre de Rothenburg. Cuando cruzaba la puerta, el teléfono empezó a sonar. Frau Protze me sonrió y luego entró ágilmente en su cubículo para contestar, dejándome que contemplara de nuevo el cuadro limpio. Hacía mucho tiempo que no lo había mirado de verdad. Al burgomaestre, que había suplicado a Tilly, comandante del ejército alemán del siglo XVII, que no destruyera su ciudad, le fue exigido por su conquistador que bebiera seis litros de cerveza sin respirar. Según recuerdo la historia, el burgomaestre consiguió realizar esa extraordinaria hazaña de beodo y la ciudad se salvó. Era, siempre lo había pensado, característicamente alemán.”
― Philip Kerr, quote from Berlin Noir: March Violets / The Pale Criminal / A German Requiem

“Volví a pie a la oficina. Frau Protze estaba limpiando el cristal del amarillento grabado de Tilly colgado de la pared de mi sala de espera, y observando con una cierta diversión los apuros del burgomaestre de Rothenburg. Cuando cruzaba la puerta, el teléfono empezó a sonar. Frau Protze me sonrió y luego entró ágilmente en su cubículo para contestar, dejándome que contemplara de nuevo el cuadro limpio. Hacía mucho tiempo que no lo había mirado de verdad. Al burgomaestre, que había suplicado a Tilly, comandante del ejército alemán del siglo XVII, que no destruyera su ciudad, le fue exigido por su conquistador que bebiera seis litros de cerveza sin respirar. Según recuerdo la historia, el burgomaestre consiguió realizar esa extraordinaria hazaña de beodo y la ciudad se salvó. Era, siempre lo había pensado, característicamente alemán.”
― Philip Kerr, quote from Berlin Noir: March Violets / The Pale Criminal / A German Requiem

“Es un silencio nacido de la vergüenza, porque incluso los inocentes son culpables. Despojado de todo derecho humano, el hombre vuelve a convertirse en un animal.”
― Philip Kerr, quote from Berlin Noir: March Violets / The Pale Criminal / A German Requiem

“The interesting thing about the rich is that they like being told where to get off. They confuse it with honesty”
― Philip Kerr, quote from Berlin Noir: March Violets / The Pale Criminal / A German Requiem

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