W. Somerset Maugham · 448 pages
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“I do not believe that I am a vindictive man, but when the immortal gods take a hand in the matter it is pardonable to observe the results with complacency.”
― W. Somerset Maugham, quote from Collected Short Stories: Volume 1
“…I do not mind odious young men; it is when they are charming that I button up the pockets of my sympathy.”
― W. Somerset Maugham, quote from Collected Short Stories: Volume 1
“I do not like these painted faces that look all alike; and I think women are foolish to dull their expression and obscure their personality with powder, rouge, and lipstick.”
― W. Somerset Maugham, quote from Collected Short Stories: Volume 1
“We can only guess at the thoughts and emotions of our neighbors. Each one of us is a prisoner in a solitary tower and he communicates with the other prisoners, who form mankind, by conventional signs that have not quite the same meaning for them as for himself.”
― W. Somerset Maugham, quote from Collected Short Stories: Volume 1
“...her very kindness was cruel because it was founded not on love but on reason...”
― W. Somerset Maugham, quote from Collected Short Stories: Volume 1
“Well, Henry, if I were you I wouldn’t worry”, said the lawyer. “My belief is that your boy’s born lucky, and in the long run that’s better than to be born clever or rich.”
― W. Somerset Maugham, quote from Collected Short Stories: Volume 1
“From the standpoint of what eternity is it better to have read a thousand books than to have ploughed a million furrows?”
― W. Somerset Maugham, quote from Collected Short Stories: Volume 1
“It was difficult for her to preserve that haughty, sullen, and coldly indifferent demeanour that appears to be essential to the mannequin as she sails in with deliberate steps, turns round slowly and, with an air of contempt for the universe equalled only by the camel’s, sails out.”
― W. Somerset Maugham, quote from Collected Short Stories: Volume 1
“annihilated them. ‘I have often wondered why men”
― W. Somerset Maugham, quote from Collected Short Stories: Volume 1
“Heaven knows, I'm the easiest woman in the world to get on with, but I will not be bullied by any man. After all, I have my self-respect to think of.”
― W. Somerset Maugham, quote from Collected Short Stories: Volume 1
W. Somerset Maugham
Born place: in Paris, France
Born date January 25, 1874
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“I told you not to confuse forgetfulness with stupidity,” Allen said. “She’s extremely intelligent. Did you use the audio binder? Give her the Amneoset?”
― Kim Harrison, quote from The Drafter
“Body parts really don’t like to be cut, stabbed or hacked into sections, and they express their anger by leaking all over the fuck. Jesus, we’re, like, seventy percent water or something? And you learn that’s so fucking true when you go to a fresh scene. Pools of it. Drips of it. Speckles of it. Then you got the stained clothes, rugs, bedsheets, walls, flooring—or if it’s outside, the ground cover, the concrete, the asphalt. And then there’s the smell. Blood, sweat, urine, other shit. That juicy bouquet will get in your sinuses and stay there for hours afterward.” He shook his head again. “The older cases . . . the smell is worse than the mess. Water deaths, with the bloating, are just ugly—and if that gas that’s built up gets out? The stench will knock you on your ass. And I don’t know, I wasn’t too crazy for the burn deaths either. I mean, you’d think we’d realize we’re not different than any other mammal—cooked meat is cooked meat, period. But I’ve never seen a grown man puke up his coffee and donuts over a medium rare T-bone.”
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“The aroma of tea mixed with the scent of old books, leather chairs, and wool from the carpet in a soothing fusion.”
― Faith Hunter, quote from Dark Heir
“Aha!"
My chaperone looked at me like I should aha! back, but all I could manage was a quiet "ah." I made a note to ha later.”
― Lemony Snicket, quote from Who Could That Be at This Hour?
“That's what life is, pretty much: full of holes and tangles and ways to get stuck. Uncomfortable and itchy. A present you never asked for, never wanted, never chose. A present you're supposed to be excited to wear, day after day, even when you'd rather stay in bed and do nothing.”
― Lauren Oliver, quote from Vanishing Girls
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