Quotes from Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife

Sam Savage ·  162 pages

Rating: (5.2K votes)


“I always think everything is going to last forever, but nothing ever does. In fact nothing exists longer than an instant except the thing that we hold in memory”
― Sam Savage, quote from Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife


“Unrequited love is bad, but unrequitable love can really get you down.”
― Sam Savage, quote from Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife


“I had learned from my reading that you can do really awful things when you are bored, things that are bound to make you miserable. In fact, you do them in order to become miserable, so you won't have to be bored anymore.”
― Sam Savage, quote from Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife


“Sometimes the books were arranged under signs, but sometimes they were just anywhere and everywhere. After I understood people better, I realized that this incredible disorder was one of the things that they loved about Pembroke Books. They did not come there just to buy a book, plunk down some cash and scram. They hung around. They called it browsing, but it was more like excavation or mining. I was surprised they didn't come in with shovels. They dug for treasures with bare hands, up to their armpits sometimes, and when they hauled some literary nugget from a mound of dross, they were much happier than if they had just walked in and bought it. In that way, shopping at Pembroke was like reading: you never knew what you might encounter on the next page -- the next shelf, stack, or box --and that was part of the pleasure of it.”
― Sam Savage, quote from Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife


“It is practically an axiom in psychiatry that precocious intellect combined with physical weakness can give rise to many unpleasant character traits - avarice, delusions of grandeur , and obsessive masturbation, to name just a few. ”
― Sam Savage, quote from Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife



“Lives in stories have direction and meaning. Even stupid, meaningless lives, like Lenny's in "Of Mice and Men," Acquire through their places in a story at least the dignity and meaning of being Stupid, Meaningless Lives, the consolation of being exemplars of something. In real life you do not get even that.”
― Sam Savage, quote from Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife


“Разликата между маската, която си надяваш, за да постигнеш свобода, и маската, която ти се натрапва, е всъщност разликата между спасението и затвора.”
― Sam Savage, quote from Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife


“I stared at the words and they did not swim or blur. Rats have no tears. Dry and cold was the world and beautiful the words. Words of good-bye and farewell, farewell and so long, from the little one and the Big One. I folded the passage up again and I ate it.”
― Sam Savage, quote from Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife


“И започнах да пътувам - в пространството и времето - чрез книгите, за да докажа това. Чрез Даниел Дефо се отбих в Лондон, за да направя обиколка с гид из чумавата година. Чух онзи, който бие камбаната, да вика "Изнесете мъртвите си" и подуших дима от подпалените трупове. Все още го усещам в ноздрите си.
Хората измират като плъхове в Лондон, всъщност плъховете също измираха - като хора. След като прекарах два часа там, усетих нужда да сменя пейзажа, при което отидох в Китай и се изкачих по стръмната, тясна пътека сред бамбук и кипариси, за да поседна на прага на малката планинска хижа заедно със стария Ту Фу. Тихо се взирах в млечната мъгла, издигаща се над долината, слушах вятъра в тръстиковите навеси и глухото ехо на камбаните в далечен храм - и двамата бяхме "всеки сам с десет хиляди неща".”
― Sam Savage, quote from Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife


“Голямата интимност се изражда в безкрайно отчуждение.”
― Sam Savage, quote from Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife



“Rata que debería estar muerta y no está muerta. Débil y sucia, pero no muerta, nada muerta, ahí estaba yo, vivo, debajo de un arbusto; y tenía un plan.”
― Sam Savage, quote from Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife


“گاهی فکر می کنم تنها چیزی که آدم در زندگی نیاز دارد یک خروار پف فیل است و چندتایی دلبرک.”
― Sam Savage, quote from Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife


“А в Африка гладуващите деца ядат истински боклук. Ако си много гладен, ще си готов да изядеш всичко. Самият акт на дъвчене и поглъщане, па макар и това, което поглъщаш да не нахранва тялото ти, нахранва мечтите ти. А мечтите за храна са като всички останали мечти - можеш да живееш от тях докато не умреш.”
― Sam Savage, quote from Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife


“Няма по-нормален начин да се създаде топло другарско чувство от разрушението. В продължение на няколко минути, попаднали в мелето, всички ние се чувствахме като голямо и щастливо семейство. Когато ме помолят да разкажа някоя весела случка от детството си, аз винаги изваждам тази, за да покажа колко нормални бяхме всъщност.”
― Sam Savage, quote from Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife


“Malo es el amor no correspondido; pero lo que verdaderamente puede hundirlo a uno es el amor no correspondible.”
― Sam Savage, quote from Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife



“Изреждаш ги, после бавно произнасяш на глас всяко едно и ги оставяш да разбият сърцето ти. "Оливър Туист", "Хъкълбери Фин", "Веилият Гетсби", "Мъртви души", "Мидълмарч", "Алиса в страната на чудесата", "Бащи и синове", "Гроздовете на гнева", "Пътят на плътта", "Американска трагедия", "Питър Пан", "Червено и черно", "Любовникът на лейди Чатърли".”
― Sam Savage, quote from Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife


“Красноречив до степен на бъбривост, аз бях обречен на мълчание.

На света има два вида животни - такива, които са надарени с език, и такива, които не са. Животните надарени с език, от своя страна се разделят на две групи - говорещи и слушащи. Към последните се отнасят най-вече кучетата. Кучетата обаче, бидейки извънредно глупави, понасят афазията си с някаква сервилна радост, която изразяват в помахване на опашка. Моят случай далеч не беше такъв. Аз не понасях мисълта, че е възможно да прекарам дните си в мълчание.”
― Sam Savage, quote from Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife


“Въпреки това Джери никога не се вбесяваше от приказките им. Много внимателно им обясняваше, че всъщност е богат, защото е свободен, защото не е роб на заплатата си и не се блъска по осем часа на ден в някаква безмислена канцелария.”
― Sam Savage, quote from Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife


“Quien no siente el deseo de volver a vivir la vida es porque la ha desperdiciado.”
― Sam Savage, quote from Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife


“در آفریقا در دوران قحطی بچه های گرسنه خاک می خورند. اگر حسابی گرسنه باشی، هرچیزی می خوری. همان جویدن و قورت دادن چیزی، حتی اگر بدن را تغذیه نکند، رویاهایت را تغذیه می کند. و رویای غذا درست مثل رویاهای دیگر است. می توانی تا لحظه مرگ با آن ها زندگی کنی.”
― Sam Savage, quote from Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife



“Los sueños de comida son como cualquier otro sueño: puedes vivir de ellos, mientras no te mueras.”
― Sam Savage, quote from Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife


“Si hay algo para lo que resulte útil una formación literaria, es para dotarlo a uno de un sentido de la catástrofe. No hay nada como una imaginación vivida para desvitalizarle a uno el valor.”
― Sam Savage, quote from Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife


“La diferencia entre ponerse una máscara, que siempre es ocasión de libertad, y que le obliguen a uno a ponérsela, es la misma que hay entre refugio y cárcel.”
― Sam Savage, quote from Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife


“E da loro appresi un insegnamento prezioso: per quanto piccolo e insignificante tu possa essere, nulla vieta che la tua follia sia tra le più grandi.”
― Sam Savage, quote from Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife


About the author

Sam Savage
Born place: in The United States
Born date November 9, 1940
See more on GoodReads

Popular quotes

“All black, of course. Just like his rotting soul.”
― Jennifer Estep, quote from Dark Frost


“Well, you seem to make the perfect friend, being the guru of so many kinds of catastrophes. We could teach one another.” More laughter that had her grinning. “We could maybe write a book.” She busted out in cackles. “Yes. A how-to manual for offing yourself.” In the middle of laughter, he said, “Or The Guru’s Guide to Not Giving a Damn.” “Thank”
― Mason Sabre, quote from Cuts Like An Angel


“...'I've never told you this, but when you were in your teens one of your teachers called us. He said you'd been fighting in the playground again. With two of the boys from the grade above, but this time it hadn't turned out so well--they'd had to send you to the hospital to have your lip sewn and a tooth taken out. I stopped your allowance, remember? Anyway, Øystein told me about the fight later. You flew at them because they'd filled Tresko's knapsack with water from the school fountain. If I remember correctly, you didn't even like Tresko much. Øystein said the reason you'd been hurt so badly was that you didn't give in. You got up time after time and in the end you were bleeding so much that the big boys became alarmed and went on their way.'
Olav Hole laughed quietly. 'I didn't think I could tell you that at the time--it would only have been asking for more fights--but I was so proud I could have wept. You were brave, Harry. You were scared of the dark, but that didn't stop you going there.'...”
― Jo Nesbø, quote from The Leopard


“No one survives in times of war unless they make war their home. How did I get so old and wise, but for welcoming war into my house and making friends with him? Better to befriend the enemy and hang on. Something worse might come along, which might be amusing or might not.”
― Gregory Maguire, quote from Mirror Mirror


“– Зачем ты приехал сюда? спросила миссис Хэмбро. Тебе известна причина твеого переезда в Дрейкз-Лендинг?
Я покачал головой.
– Сила свела нас вместе, сказала она. Сейчас во всем мире формируются группы. Они получают одно и то же сообщение: страдайте и через боль спасайте мир. Христос не только страдал за наши грехи, но и показал нам путь. Мы должны последовать его примеру. Нас поднимут на крест, и мы получим вечную жизнь.
Она выпустила дым через ноздри.
– Христос родился на другой планете. Он был более развитой расы. Земля самая отсталая планета во Вселенной. Ночью, когда я лежу без сна, мне транслируют сообщения. Иногда они пугают меня. Как-то раз наши братья по разуму начали открывать мне клапаны в голове вот тут и вот тут.
Она показала эти места.
– Я услышала ужасный шум, самый громки шум, который я когда-либо слышала. Он оглушил меня. Ты знаешь, что это было? Спуск космического посоха Аарона! Он возник передо мной прямо в воздухе. После этого я не могу смотреть на солнце без очков. Интенсивность космических лучей слишком велика. Она сжигает наши умы. К концу мая интенсивность достигнет максимальной величины. Затем, по мнению ученых, наступит конец света. Полюса планеты поменяются местами. Ты знаешь, что случится? Сан-Франциско совместится с Лос-Анджелесом.
– Да, я знаю.
Мне доводилось читать об этом в газете.
– Самые развитые существа живут на солнце, продолжила миссис Хэмбро. Они контактируют с моим мозгом каждую ночь. Меня посвящают в знания. Скоро я узнаю тайну Вселенной. Головокружительная перспектива.”
― Philip K. Dick, quote from Confessions of a Crap Artist


Interesting books

Hold Me Closer: The Tiny Cooper Story
(4.7K)
Hold Me Closer: The...
by David Levithan
Frost Like Night
(7.4K)
Frost Like Night
by Sara Raasch
Cruel Crown
(15.4K)
Cruel Crown
by Victoria Aveyard
Take the Key and Lock Her Up
(4.9K)
Take the Key and Loc...
by Ally Carter
Regarding the Pain of Others
(7.9K)
Regarding the Pain o...
by Susan Sontag
The Mismeasure of Man
(6.9K)
The Mismeasure of Ma...
by Stephen Jay Gould

About BookQuoters

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.

Founded in 2023, BookQuoters has quickly become a large and vibrant community of people who share an affinity for books. Books are seen by some as a throwback to a previous world; conversely, gleaning the main ideas of a book via a quote or a quick summary is typical of the Information Age but is a habit disdained by some diehard readers. We feel that we have the best of both worlds at BookQuoters; we read books cover-to-cover but offer you some of the highlights. We hope you’ll join us.