Quotes from First Among Sequels

Jasper Fforde ·  363 pages

Rating: (21.7K votes)


“Whereas story is processed in the mind in a straightforward manner, poetry bypasses rational thought and goes straight to the limbic system and lights it up like a brushfire. It's the crack cocaine of the literary world.”
― Jasper Fforde, quote from First Among Sequels


“Two minds with but a single thought, two hearts that beat as one.”
― Jasper Fforde, quote from First Among Sequels


“Reality TV was to me the worst form of entertainment--the modern equivalent of paying sixpence to watch lunatics howling at the wall down at the local madhouse.”
― Jasper Fforde, quote from First Among Sequels


“Yes, and imagine a world where there were no hypothetical situations.”
― Jasper Fforde, quote from First Among Sequels


“Have you ever wondered how nostalgia isn"t what it used to be?”
― Jasper Fforde, quote from First Among Sequels



“It's simple. If you go to see 'Saturday Night Fever' expecting it to be good, it's a corker. However, if you go expecting it to be a crock of shit, it's that, too. Thus 'Saturday Night Fever' can exist in two mutually opposing states at the very same time, yet only by the weight of our expectations. From this principle we can deduce that any opposing states can be governed by human expectation - even, as in the case of retro-deficit-engineering, the present use of a future technology."

"I think I understand that. Does it work with any John Travolta movie?"

"Only the artistically ambiguous ones such as 'Pulp Fiction' or 'Face/Off.' 'Battlefield Earth' doesn't work, because it's a stinker no matter how much you think you're going to like it, and 'Get Shorty' doesn't work either, because you'd be hard-pressed not to enjoy it, irrespective of any preconceived notions.”
― Jasper Fforde, quote from First Among Sequels


“Humans like stories. Humans need stories. Stories are good. Stories work. Story clarifies and captures the essence of the human spirit. Story, in all its forms—of life, of love, of knowledge—has traced the upward surge of mankind. And story, you mark my words, will be with the last human to draw breath.”
― Jasper Fforde, quote from First Among Sequels


“Reading, I had learned, was as creative a process as writing, sometimes more so. When we read of the dying rays of the setting sun or the boom and swish of the incoming tide, we should reserve as much praise for ourselves as for the author. After all, the reader is doing all the work - the writer might have died long ago.”
― Jasper Fforde, quote from First Among Sequels


“There are a lot of idiots in this country, and they deserve representation as much as the next man.”
― Jasper Fforde, quote from First Among Sequels


“Without unscrambled eggs, there was no time travel, no more depredation of the Now, and we could look to a brighter future of long-term thought--and more reading.”
― Jasper Fforde, quote from First Among Sequels



“If you even think about asking Harry Potter for an autograph, your day ends right now.”
― Jasper Fforde, quote from First Among Sequels


“If it takes us 10 years to get into the shit, it will take us 20 to get out.

And the journey starts NOW.”
― Jasper Fforde, quote from First Among Sequels


“Thursday, you mean everything to me. Not just because you're cute, smart, funny and have a devastatingly good figure and boobs to die for, but that you do right for right's sake - it's what you are and what you do. Even if I never get my magnum opus published, I will still die secure in the knowledge that my time on this planet was well-spent - giving support, love and security to someone who actually makes a difference.”
― Jasper Fforde, quote from First Among Sequels


“Keep people reading books, Mum; it helps to reinforce and strengthen the indefinable moments that anchor us in the here and now. Strive for the long now.”
― Jasper Fforde, quote from First Among Sequels


“You are the best, most loving, supportive family anyone could ever have," I said through my sobs. "I'm so sorry if I'm a burden."
They all told me not to be so bloody silly, I told them not to swear, and Landen gave me a handkerchief for my tears.”
― Jasper Fforde, quote from First Among Sequels



“extraordinary; I could almost see the Cambrian Mountains”
― Jasper Fforde, quote from First Among Sequels


“Sometimes living in the BookWorld is like living in Legoland.”
― Jasper Fforde, quote from First Among Sequels


“Well, that's it." I said after we had waited for another five minutes and found ourselves still in a state of pleasantly welcome existence. "The ChronoGuard has shut itself down and time travel is as it should be: technically, logically, and theoretically...impossible." "Good thing, too," reply Landon. "It always made my head ache. In fact, I was thinking of doing self help book for science-fiction novelists eager to write about time travel. It would consist of a single word: Don't.”
― Jasper Fforde, quote from First Among Sequels


“We have it on good authority that they might disguise it as a double entendre in a bedroom farce and deliver it up the rear entrance at Comedy.”
― Jasper Fforde, quote from First Among Sequels


“She was the sort of parent you would want to have living close by, but only on the grounds that she would then never come to stay. I loved her dearly, but in small doses.”
― Jasper Fforde, quote from First Among Sequels



“На самом деле я подумывал написать самоучитель для фантастов, собирающихся писать о путешествиях во времени. Он состоял бы из двух слов: «Не надо».”
― Jasper Fforde, quote from First Among Sequels


About the author

Jasper Fforde
Born place: in London, England, The United Kingdom
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Popular quotes

“The people in the city seem paper thin in the mist. They believe they are dancing to the music of their lives... But I think, like the puppets, each of us is pulled upon invisible strings, until the night comes and we are put away. I shiver, and hurry from the square, as the darkness of the city closes over me like canal water or the grave.”
― Neil Gaiman, quote from The Sandman: Endless Nights


“Endurance over-goaded, stretched the hand of fraternity to sedition.”
― Charlotte Brontë, quote from Shirley


“Men shake hands after they beat each other up; we eat chocolate.”
― Nora Roberts, quote from Vision in White


“Alright, well, we're going to go tell Maggie's father." Kyle came forward to inspect Caleb's face closely. "Dude, what are you doing?"
"Just memorising your pretty face before it gets all mangled."
Caleb laughed and shoved Kyle who laughed too. "Shut up, man.”
― Shelly Crane, quote from Accordance


""You don't think that I'd say this to your face? I will. You're a self-centered jerk, Rafe Martinez. You've got everyone convinced that you sacrificed yourself for Maya and Daniel, but that's crap. You didn't let go. You slipped. Maya wanted to believe there was more to it, so she convinced Daniel—"
"She didn't convince me of anything,"
Daniel said, his voice low. "I was there, too, Sam. He let go."
"So? He's not actually dead, is he?"

Rafe sputtered a laugh. She glowered at him, then at Corey, who'd joined them, grinning as he heard. Even Daniel had to wipe away a smile.
"What?" she said. "He isn't."
"The, uh, fact that he survived his heroic sacrifice really shouldn't be held against him,"
Daniel said. "Look, I'm fine with Rafe—"
"No, you're not. Heroic sacrifice or not, he's still a jerk. He waltzed into Salmon Creek and stole Maya."
"Stole?"
I said.
"It's not your fault. You two are both skin-walkers. It's animal magnetism. You can't help yourself." She glared at Corey, who was cracking up behind Rafe. "Stop that. You know it's true. Maya's too smart to fall for an arrogant, self-centered—"
"Enough,"
Derek said.
Sam sighed. "I know you're trying to be fair, Daniel, but you need to stand up for yourself, not let this smirking bad boy wannabe waltz in and—"
"Enough!"
Daniel's roar made everyone stumble back. He climbed the steps and stopped in front of Sam. "I don't know what your problem is, Sam, but you've now insulted everyone here except Corey."
"Oh, she already zinged me,"
Corey said. "I started rubbing my temples and she suggested I don't really get headaches. It just hurts me to think."
― Kelley Armstrong, quote from The Calling


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