Quotes from Castle in the Air

“I am a believer in free will. If my dog chooses to hate the whole human race except myself, it must be free to do so.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Castle in the Air

“Take it from me, Fate doesn't care most of the time.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Castle in the Air

“I can't abide people who go soft over animals and then cheat every human they come across!”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Castle in the Air

“Nobody gets praised for the right reasons.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Castle in the Air

“Tell me about this Wizard Howl of yours."
"He's the best wizard in Ingary or anywhere else. If he'd only had time, he would have defeated that djinn. And he's sly and selfish and vain as a peacock and cowardly, and you can't pin him down to anything."
"Indeed? Strange that you should speak so proudly such a list of vices, most loving of ladies."
"What do you mean, vices? I was just describing Howl. He comes from another world entirely, you know, called Wales, and I refuse to believe he's dead!”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Castle in the Air

“You cannot rob robbers with a kitten in your hat!”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Castle in the Air

“If you must know, I-I had never in my life kissed a young lady, and you are far too beautiful to me to want to get it wrong!”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Castle in the Air

“The soldier was like that. He was an expert in getting other people to do what he wanted. The only creature that could make the soldier do something he did not want was Midnight, and Midnight did things she did not want only when Whippersnapper wanted something. That put the kitten right at the top of the pecking order. A kitten!”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Castle in the Air

“Pray use both cats as sponges if it pleases you, infatuated infantryman.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Castle in the Air

“A garden should be natural-seeming, with wild sections, including a large area of bluebells.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Castle in the Air

“Tell me of this Wizard Howl of yours". Sophie's teeth chattered but she said proudly, "He's the best wizard in Ingary or anywhere else. If he'd only had time, he would have defeated that djinn. And he's sly and selfish and vain as a peacock and cowardly, and you can't pin him down to anything.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Castle in the Air

“It's just as I thought," she said. "I prefer you to every single one of these. Some of these look far too proud of themselves, and some look selfish and cruel. You are unassuming and kind. I intend to ask my father to marry me to you, instead of to the Prince in Ochinstan. Would you mind?”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Castle in the Air

“Tell me of this wizard Howl of yours."
Sophie's teeth chattered, but she said proudly, "He's the best wizard in Ingary or anywhere else. If he'd only had time, he would have defeated that djinn. And he's sly and selfish and vain as a peacock and cowardly, and you can't pin him down to do anything."
"Indded?" asked Abdullah. "Strange that you should speak so proudly such a list of vices, most loving of ladies."
"What do you mean, vices?" Sophie asked angrily. "I was just describing Howl!”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Castle in the Air

“Jamal stared at the dog in his arms. "Why I am I holding a dog full of angels?”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Castle in the Air

“It was time for a strong-minded woman to take charge. Abdullah was quite glad that Sophie was one.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Castle in the Air

“A very short burst of thought was enough to convince Abdullah that his situation, despite the chains, would be very much worse if he became a toad.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Castle in the Air

“I am a believer in free will. If my dog chooses to hate the whole human race except myself, it must be free to do so.” After”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Castle in the Air

“Sophie and Howl were living - somewhat quarrelsomely it must be confessed, although they were said to be happiest that way - in the moving castle again”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Castle in the Air

“The tiny princess glanced up with a shy smile. “Boyth, all,” she said, in a small, lisping voice. Morgan’s”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Castle in the Air

“—Quizá —dijo— deberías estar más pendiente de a quién muerde tu perro.
—¡Yo no! —dijo Jamal—. Soy un creyente del libre albedrío. Si mi perro elige odiar
a toda la raza humana menos a mí, es libre de hacerlo.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Castle in the Air

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“As I look back on my own life, I recognize that some of the greatest gifts I received from my parents stemmed not from what they did for me—but rather from what they didn’t do for me. One such example: my mother never mended my clothes. I remember going to her when I was in the early grades of elementary school, with holes in both socks of my favorite pair. My mom had just had her sixth child and was deeply involved in our church activities. She was very, very busy. Our family had no extra money anywhere, so buying new socks was just out of the question. So she told me to go string thread through a needle, and to come back when I had done it. That accomplished—it took me about ten minutes, whereas I’m sure she could have done it in ten seconds—she took one of the socks and showed me how to run the needle in and out around the periphery of the hole, rather than back and forth across the hole, and then simply to draw the hole closed. This took her about thirty seconds. Finally, she showed me how to cut and knot the thread. She then handed me the second sock, and went on her way. A year or so later—I probably was in third grade—I fell down on the playground at school and ripped my Levi’s. This was serious, because I had the standard family ration of two pairs of school trousers. So I took them to my mom and asked if she could repair them. She showed me how to set up and operate her sewing machine, including switching it to a zigzag stitch; gave me an idea or two about how she might try to repair it if it were she who was going to do the repair, and then went on her way. I sat there clueless at first, but eventually figured it out. Although in retrospect these were very simple things, they represent a defining point in my life. They helped me to learn that I should solve my own problems whenever possible; they gave me the confidence that I could solve my own problems; and they helped me experience pride in that achievement. It’s funny, but every time I put those socks on until they were threadbare, I looked at that repair in the toe and thought, “I did that.” I have no memory now of what the repair to the knee of those Levi’s looked like, but I’m sure it wasn’t pretty. When I looked at it, however, it didn’t occur to me that I might not have done a perfect mending job. I only felt pride that I had done it. As for my mom, I have wondered what”
― Clayton M. Christensen, quote from How Will You Measure Your Life?

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