Quotes from House of Many Ways

Diana Wynne Jones ·  416 pages

Rating: (21.7K votes)


“All she heard next of the strange conversation behind the sofa was Mrs. Pendragon saying something about sending Twinkle (or was his name Howl?) to bed without supper and Twinkle daring her to 'jutht TRY it.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from House of Many Ways


“Sophie said a bad word. In the dim light she had stubbed her toe on one of the many dusty bricks piled around the place.
Naughty-naughty" Twinkle said.
Oh shut up!" Sophie said , standing on one leg to hold her toe. "Why don't you grow up?”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from House of Many Ways


“In addition, Master Twinkle seems convinced that someone is denying him a pair of stripey trousers.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from House of Many Ways


“I'll show you how," Peter said. "Stop hiding behind your ignorance.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from House of Many Ways


“I’m beginning to think I’ve led a much too sheltered life.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from House of Many Ways



“She's not stupid. She just never lets her mind out.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from House of Many Ways


“By this time, half the people in High Norland were gathered in Royal Square to stare at the castle. They all watched with disbelief as the castle rose slightly into the air and glided toward the road that led southward. It was hardly more than an alley, really. "It'll never fit!" people said. But the castle somehow squeezed itself narrow enough to drift away along it and out of sight. The citizens of High Norland gave it a cheer as it went.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from House of Many Ways


“As she turned left to the gateway, it occurred to her that swimming was only one of a very large number of things she had no idea what to do. Peter had been right to object to her ignorance. "It's not that I'm lazy," she explained to Waif as they arrived in what seemed to be stables, "or stupid. I've just not bothered to look round the edges of Mother's way of doing things, you see.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from House of Many Ways


“I can't wear thethe! I want my thtwipey oneth!”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from House of Many Ways


“She stood with her nose up, sniffing delightedly. It was the delicious mildewy fragrance of old books. Hundreds of them, she saw, looking round the room. Books were lined up on shelves on all four walls, stacked on the floor, and piled on the desk, old books in leather covers mostly, although some of the ones on the floor had newer looking colored jackets.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from House of Many Ways



“The most she knew about gardens was the Bakers’ own backyard, which contained one large mulberry tree and a rosebush, plus the window boxes where her mother grew runner beans. She knew there was earth under the plants and that the earth contained worms. She shuddered.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from House of Many Ways


“But I want to read a book!" Charmain protested.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from House of Many Ways


About the author

Diana Wynne Jones
Born place: in London, England, The United Kingdom
Born date August 16, 1934
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Popular quotes

“Memory is like fiction; or else it's fiction that's like memory. This really came home to me once I started writing fiction, that memory seemed a kind of fiction, or vice versa. Either way, no matter how hard you try to put everything neatly into shape, the context wanders this way and that, until finally the context isn't even there anymore. You're left with this pile of kittens lolling all over one another. Warm with life, hopelessly unstable. And then to put these things out as saleable items, you call them finished products - at times it's downright embarrassing just to think of it. Honestly, it can make me blush.”
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“Oh, well," Silk said wryly, "we might as well get it out into the open, I suppose. Gentlemen," he said, "I'm sure you all remember the Margravine Liselle, my fiancee."
"Your fiancee?" Barak exclaimed in amazement.
"We all have to settle down sometime." Silk shrugged.
They all gathered around to congratulate him. Velvet, however, did not look pleased.
"Was something the matter, dear?" Silk asked her, all innocence.
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"I seem to be getting off to a bad start here," he observed.
"Very bad," she agreed.”
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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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