“Rage.
Sing, O Muse, of the rage of Achilles, of Peleus’ son, murderous, man-killer, fated to die, sing of the rage that cost the Achaeans so many good men and sent so many vital, hearty souls down to the dreary House of Death. And while you’re at it, Muse, sing of the rage of the gods themselves, so petulant and so powerful here on their new Olympos, and of the rage of the post-humans, dead and gone though they might be, and of the rage of those few true humans left, self-absorbed and useless though they have become. While you are singing, O Muse, sing also of the rage of those thoughtful, sentient, serious but not-so-close-to-human beings out there dreaming under the ice of Europa, dying in the sulfur ash of Io, and being born in the cold folds of Ganymede.
Oh, and sing of me, O Muse, poor born-against-his-will Hockenberry, dead Thomas Hockenberry, Ph.D., Hockenbush to his friends, to friends long since turned to dust on a world long since left behind. Sing of my rage, yes, of my rage, O Muse, small and insignificant though that rage might be when measured against the anger of the immortal gods, or when compared to the wrath of the god-killer Achilles.
On second though, O Muse, sing nothing of me. I know you. I have been bound and servant to you, O Muse, you incomparable bitch. And I do not trust you, O Muse. Not one little bit.”
― Dan Simmons, quote from Ilium
“Want to talk about Shakespeare's sonnets?" asked Orphu of Io.
Are you shitting me?" The moravecs loved the ancient human colloquial phrases, the more scatological the better.
Yes," said Orphu. "I am most definitely shitting you, my friend.”
― Dan Simmons, quote from Ilium
“Human art, Mahnmut knew, simply transcended human beings.”
― Dan Simmons, quote from Ilium
“The only true voyage, the only Fountain of Youth,” recited Orphu, “would be found not in traveling to strange lands but in having different eyes, in seeing the universe with the eyes of another person, of a hundred others, and seeing the hundred universes each of them sees, which each of them is.”
― Dan Simmons, quote from Ilium
“This is where the Iliad begins, and it should be the focus of all my energies and professional skills, but the truth is that I don’t really give a shit.”
― Dan Simmons, quote from Ilium
“Arete is simply excellence and the striving for excellence in all things,” said Odysseus. “Arete simply means the act of offering all actions as a sort of sacrament to excellence, of devoting one’s life to finding excellence, identifying it when it offers itself, and achieving it in your own life.”
― Dan Simmons, quote from Ilium
“Achilles pauses, looks over his shoulder at the masses of men behind him, turns back, looks past Zeus toward Olympos and the masses of gods in front of him, and then crooks his neck to look up again at towering Zeus.
"Surrender now", says Achilles, "and we'll spare your goddesses' lives so they can be our slaves and courtesans.”
― Dan Simmons, quote from Ilium
“What’s it called?” she asked. “La putain enormé,” said Ada. “What does it mean?”
― Dan Simmons, quote from Ilium
“Old age hath yet his honour and his toil; Death closes all: but something ere the end, Some work of noble note, may yet be done . . . ‘Tis not too late to seek a newer world . . .”
― Dan Simmons, quote from Ilium
“Their three approaches fail but somehow the story itself succeeds, despite its narrator’s and even author’s failures!”
― Dan Simmons, quote from Ilium
“Old age hath yet his honour and his toil; Death closes all: but something ere the end, Some work of noble note, may yet be done . . . ‘Tis not too late to seek a newer world . . . Tho’ much is taken, much abides; and tho’ We are not now that strength which in old days Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are; One equal temper of heroic hearts, Made weak in time and fate, but strong in will To strive, to seek, and not to yield.”
― Dan Simmons, quote from Ilium
“At that point Lord Agamemnon, Atreus’ son, began shitting whole goats,” laughs Orus, speaking loudly enough that several captains turn to frown at us.”
― Dan Simmons, quote from Ilium
“ENOUGH!" bellows Zeus and not only stops Ares diatribe , but freezes every god and robot in place. "I'll hear no more whining prattle from you, Ares, you lying, two-faced, treacherous sparrowfart, you miserable excuse for a man, much less for a god.”
― Dan Simmons, quote from Ilium
“Reading your sonnets?” asked Orphu. Mahnmut closed the book. “How’d you know? Have you taken up telepathy now that you’ve lost your eyes?” “Not yet,” rumbled the Ionian. Orphu’s great crab shell was lashed to the deck ten meters from where Mahnmut sat near the bow. “Some of your silences are more literary than others, is all.”
― Dan Simmons, quote from Ilium
“Agamemnon: "Our prayer was simple — to raze Ilium’s walls to its roots, kill its heroes, rape its women, enslave its people. Is that too much to ask?”
― Dan Simmons, quote from Ilium
“Manmut oseti kako mu se organski slojevi ježe kada je shvatio da je naglas progovorio preko privatne linije. “Ništa. Zbog čega ljubav nije dovela do odgovora na zagonetku života?”
“Zbog toga što je Prust znao - a njegovi likovi to otkrivaju - da ni ljubav, ni njen plemenitiji rođak, prijateljstvo, nikada ne mogu da prežive entropijska sečiva ljubomore, dosade, navike i egoizma”, reče Orfi i Manmut prvi put u toku njihove direktne komunikacije nasluti prizvuk tuge u glasu krupnog moraveka.
“Nikad?”
“Nikad”, reče Orfi i grmnu dubokim uzdahom. “Sećaš se poslednjih redova Zaljubljenog Svana? - “Kad pomislim da sam protraćio godine svog života, da sam želeo da umrem, da sam najveću ljubav doživeo sa ženom koja me nije privlačila, koja čak nije bila moj tip!”
“Primetio sam to”, reče Manmut, “ali nisam tada znao da li to treba da bude strašno smešno, užasno gorko ili neizrecivo tužno. Šta je u pitanju?”
“Sve troje, prijatelju”, odasla Orfi sa Ija. “Sve troje”.
“Koji je bio treći put Prustovih likova prema zagonetki života?” - upita Manmut. Povećao je priliv O2 u svoju komoru kako bi razvejao paučinaste niti tuge koje su pretile da mu se isprepleću u srcu.
“O tome ćemo neki drugi put”, reče Orfi, naslutivši možda raspoloženje svog sabesednika. “Koros III će povećati raspon zahvata i biće zabavno da posmatramo vatromet u spektru rendgenskih zraka”.”
[...]
“ “E vidiš, to nije toliko neuobičajeno”, reče Orfi. “Slušaj, evo jednog pasusa koji sledi posle onoga o nicanju krila i novih pluća na Marsu. Hoćeš na francuskom ili engleskom?”
“Na engleskom”, reče Manmut brzo. Ovako blizu strašnoj smrti od gušenja, nije želeo da se još dodadno muči slušajući francuski.
“Jedino pravo putovanje, jedina Fontana Mladosti”, izdeklamova Orfi, “neće se pronaći na putu u nepoznate zemlje, već u drugačijim očima, u posmatranju vaseljene očima druge osobe, stotinu drugih, i spoznaji stotine vaseljena koje svako od njih vidi, koje svako od njih predstavlja”.
Dok je razmišljao o ovome, Manmut je na tren zaista zaboravio na njihovo neumitno gušenje. “To je Marselov četvrti i konačni odgovor na zagonetku života, Orfi, zar ne?”
Ijanin oćuta.
“Hoću da kažem”, nastavi Manmut, “rekao si da su prva tri za Marsela bila nedovoljna. Pokušao je da veruje u snobovštinu. Pokušao je da veruje u prijateljstvo i ljubav. Pokušao je da veruje u umetnost. Ništa od svega toga nije proradilo kao transcendentna tema. Stoga je ovo četvrto. Ovo…” Nije mogao da pronađe odgovarajuću reč ili frazu.
“Bekstvo svesti iz ograničenja svesti”, reče Orfi tiho. “Imaginacija koja nadilazi domen imaginacije”.
“Da”, prodahta Manmut. “Shvatam”.
“Treba da shvatiš”, reče Orfi. “Ti sada predstavljaš moje oči. Treba da vidim vaseljenu kroz tvoje oči”.
Manmut je na minut ostao da sedi u tišini remećenoj samo šištanjem O2 iz priključenog creva. Onda reče: “Pokušajmo da podignemo Crnu gospu”.”
― Dan Simmons, quote from Ilium
“Seduction, he knew, was both science and art—a blend of skill, discipline, proximity, and opportunity. Mostly proximity.”
― Dan Simmons, quote from Ilium
Dan Simmons
Born place: in Peoria, Illinois, The United States
Born date April 4, 1948
See more on GoodReads
“Anyway,” the agent said abruptly. “I just . . . wanted you to know that I’m sorry for everything. I want to help you and the rest of the Order in any way I can, so if there is anything you need, you know where I am.”
“Chase,” Dante said as the male turned to leave the room. “Apology accepted, man. And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry too. I haven’t been fair to you either. Despite our differences, know that I respect you. The Agency lost a good one the day they cut you loose.”
Chase’s smile was crooked as he acknowledged the praise with a short nod.
Dante cleared his throat. “And about that offer of help . . .”
“Name it.”
“Tess was walking a dog when the Rogues attacked her tonight. Ugly little mutt, not good for much more than a foot-warmer, but it’s special to her. Actually, it was a gift from me, more or less. Anyway, the dog was running loose on its leash when I saw it a block or so away from Ben Sullivan’s place.”
“You want me to go retrieve a wayward canine, is that where this is heading?”
“Well, you did say anything, didn’t you?”
“So I did.” Chase chuckled. “All right. I will.”
Dante dug his keys to his Porsche out of his pocket and tossed them to the other vampire. As Chase turned to be on his way again, Dante added, “The little beast answers to the name Harvard, by the way.”
“Harvard,” Chase drawled, shaking his head and throwing a smirk in Dante’s direction. “I don’t suppose that’s a coincidence.”
Dante shrugged. “Good to see that Ivy League pedigree of yours comes in handy for something.”
“Jesus Christ, warrior. You really were busting my ass since the minute I came on board, weren’t you?”
“Hey, by all comparisons, I was kind. Do yourself a favor and don’t look too closely at Niko’s shooting target, unless you’re very secure about your manhood.”
“Assholes,” Chase muttered, but there was only humor in his tone. “Sit tight, and I’ll be back in a few with your mutt. Anything else you’re gonna hit me up for now that I opened my big yap about wanting to get square with you?”
“Actually, there might be something else,” Dante replied, his thoughts going sober when he considered Tess and any kind of future that might be deserving of her. “But we can talk about that when you get back, yeah?”
Chase nodded, catching on to the turn in mood. “Yeah. Sure we can.”
― Lara Adrian, quote from Kiss of Crimson
“In der Morgensonne schlenderte er über den Kurfürstendamm, kaufte sich an einem Kiosk einen Baedeker und nahm ein Taxi zum verwüsteten Reichstag, wo man emsig an der Restaurierung arbeite. Das Gebäude war barhäuptig: die große Mittelkuppel – Bismarcks Helm – war verschwunden, und als er sich umdrehte, sah er am anderen Ende der großen Wiese im Tiergarten das neue Kongreßzentrum, das exakt die Form von Hitlers Mütze hatte.”
― Harry Mulisch, quote from The Discovery of Heaven
“These men of the special forces have had other optinos in their lives, other paths, easier paths they could have taken. But they took the hardest path, that narrow causeway that is not for the sunshine patriot. They took the one for the supreme patriot, the one that may require them to lay down their lives for the United States of America. The one that is suitable only for those who want to serve their country so bad, nothing else matters. That's probably not fashionable in our celebrity-obsessed modern world. But special forces guys don't give a damn about that either.....They are of course aware of a higher calling, because they are sworn to defend this country and to fight its battles.”
― Marcus Luttrell, quote from Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10
“Where all think alike there is little danger of innovation.”
― Edward Abbey, quote from Desert Solitaire
“In the midst of the lake Arthur was ware of an arm clothed in white samite, that held a fair sword in that hand. ”
― quote from Le Morte d'Arthur: King Arthur and the Legends of the Round Table
Freedom: The End of...
Whale Talk
Reasonable Doubt: Vo...
The Iron-Jawed Boy
Unforgiven
Welcome to Night Val...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.
