Quotes from Dr. Franklin's Island

“The plane blew up.”
“I wonder what happened to all the other people?”
As soon as I’d spoken, I wished I hadn’t said that. I decided shy people shouldn’t try to make conversation, not even in an emergency. If I manage to talk to strangers at all, nervousness always makes me say the wrong thing.”
― Ann Halam, quote from Dr. Franklin's Island

“But I suppose I’m a typical nerd, good at the details, not very smart at seeing the larger picture. I’d gone in for the competition because I liked my science teacher, and it had been like doing any interesting piece of homework. I had not thought it through. I had never sat myself down and said to myself, hold on, Semirah, what if you win? You are shy. How are you going to survive for three weeks surrounded by total strangers?”
― Ann Halam, quote from Dr. Franklin's Island

“I walked all the way around the zoo, and then came back to a girl with a round face and fluffy hair, who looked like a baby owl. I like owls. I was about to say hello when along came Very Cool Girl, with her beautiful hair swinging. She smiled at me, and so did the baby owl. But oh no…My throat closed up. I simply could not speak. I can’t talk to strangers! I swerved off, and pretended I’d been headed for a nearby drinks machine.”
― Ann Halam, quote from Dr. Franklin's Island

“I’d given up on the animal identities, so I didn’t try to think of one; but I decided I’d sit down, not next to him but a couple of seats away, to drink my can of Coke. I would try to look casually inviting, and maybe we could strike up a conversation. I sat down, giving a sigh that might have been a sort of noncommittal half-hello. He looked up from the game he was playing on his GameBoy and stared at me, narrow-eyed. His expression said very clearly, I’ve got your number, Unpopular Girl. Stay away from me.”
― Ann Halam, quote from Dr. Franklin's Island

“Good morning,” I said awkwardly.
Being shipwrecked doesn’t make shyness any easier.”
― Ann Halam, quote from Dr. Franklin's Island

“We came across a rucksack, wedged in among the coral. It was fastened up, but it seemed to have been invaded by some weird fluffy white sea creature that was trying to get out.
“What’s that?” said Arnie, poking it.
Miranda and I took a second look, and started to giggle. “It’s tampons,” I said. “Expanding widthways when wet—”
“Yecch!”
― Ann Halam, quote from Dr. Franklin's Island

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“Teague hands me his helmet.
“You’d better wear this,” he says, straddling his bike.
I sit on the very back edge of the warm leather seat and strap the helmet on tight. And you know, I try, really I do, to not, like, scrunch up against the back of his sweater.
I swear.
But it’s impossible, and I use every muscle in my stomach to not melt onto him.
He turns around.
“You ever ridden one of these?”
I shake my head.
“Okay, well, just, you know--” He takes my hands and wraps them around his waist.
I think I might die.
“Hold on tight,” he says. “And lean with me into the turns, don’t fight it, okay?”
“Okay,” I say, finally letting go, letting my body graze against his.
The engine roars to life.
“Hold on tight,” yells Teague.
Um, not a problem. I think, and smile.
“Ready?” he yells.
“Ready,” I yell back, but we’re already rocketing down the road.”
― Megan Shull, quote from Amazing Grace

“For things to reveal themselves to us, we need to be ready to abandon our views about them.”
― Thich Nhat Hanh, quote from Being Peace

“Слово за слово, и я узнал, что племянника зовут Шнырёк и что родители его погибли во время генеральной уборки.

И вообще, как обстоит дело с вашим воспитанием? Вы воспитаны или нет? А может, вы так и родились трудновоспитуемыми?

- Каком-каком? - переспросил Фредриксон с заметным интересом.
И я очень тому обрадовался, потому что впервые услышал разумный, интеллигентный вопрос.

- Ведут порочный образ жизни? - очень заинтересовался я. - Что это значит?
- Точно не знаю. Наверно, топчут чужие огороды и пьют пиво.

- Подождите немного, - попросил Снусмумрик. - Моему папе что - нравилась эта круглая Мюмла?
- Еще бы! - отвечал Муми-папа. - Они носились повсюду вдвоем и хохотали, когда надо и не надо.

- Извините, а дикие звери здесь водятся? - спросил Шнырек.
- Гораздо хуже, - прошептала Мюмла. - Пятьсот процентов гостей бесследно исчезают! Просто жуть. Ну, я пошла. Привет!”
― Tove Jansson, quote from Moominpappa's Memoirs

“Hence it is predicated chiefly of the virtuous; then of the pleasant; and lastly of the useful.”
― Thomas Aquinas, quote from Summa Theologica, 5 Vols

“There are no happy endings, he knew, because nothing ends; and if there were any being dispensed, a great many worthier people would be in line for them long before Michael and Laura and himself. But the happiness of the unworthy and the happiness of the so-so is as fragile and self-centered and dear as the happiness of the righteous and the worthy; and the happiness of the living is no less short and desperate and forgotten than the joys of the dead.”
― Peter S. Beagle, quote from A Fine and Private Place

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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.

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