Quotes from Knockemstiff

Donald Ray Pollock ·  206 pages

Rating: (6.3K votes)


“I'm beginning to believe that anything I do to extend my life is just going to be outweighed by the agony of living it.”
― Donald Ray Pollock, quote from Knockemstiff


“A lot of people get the wrong impression, think there's something romantic or tragic about hitting bottom.”
― Donald Ray Pollock, quote from Knockemstiff


“When you first heard him talking about it, you'd figure he was batshit crazy, but really, he was just trying to fill up his days so he didn't have to think about what a fucking mess he had made of everything. It's the same for most of us; forgetting our lives might be the best we'll ever do.”
― Donald Ray Pollock, quote from Knockemstiff


“I don't know,' Del said. 'I read this book. I guess you could say we were looking for a better life.'
'Did you find it?' the Fish Stick Girl asked.
'No, it was just a goddamn book. I ain't read one since.”
― Donald Ray Pollock, quote from Knockemstiff


“The glass door swung open and two big, homely women walked in looking guilty. They were the kind of women who, out of sheer loneliness, end up doing kinky stuff with candy bars and wake up with apple fritters in their hair.”
― Donald Ray Pollock, quote from Knockemstiff



“Look, girls don't care how many push-ups you can do. They just want to get high and wear flowers in their hair. Maybe steal a car.”
― Donald Ray Pollock, quote from Knockemstiff


“Six months ago, her old doctor at the Henry J. Hamilton Rehabilitation Centee had put her back on all her medications after somebody disguised in a paper bag had tried to strangle her in front of the Tobacco Friendly. Though she described the sack perfectly, even drew a picture of it down at the station, the cops never found a single suspect.”
― Donald Ray Pollock, quote from Knockemstiff


“The Oxys filled holes in me I hadn't realized were empty. It was, at least for those first few months, a wonderful way to be disabled. I felt blessed.”
― Donald Ray Pollock, quote from Knockemstiff


“Jimmy's eyes would turn as red and sticky as candy, and his head would fall back against the seat in a dream. If he were lucky tonight, maybe he would see something that he hadn't seen before. And then it would be my turn.”
― Donald Ray Pollock, quote from Knockemstiff


“A damp, gray sky covered southern Ohio like the skin of a corpse.”
― Donald Ray Pollock, quote from Knockemstiff



“You can't be a pussy all your life Todd. Someday you're just gonna have to say fuck it.”
― Donald Ray Pollock, quote from Knockemstiff


“Because of who we were, I already knew what we would do.”
― Donald Ray Pollock, quote from Knockemstiff


About the author

Donald Ray Pollock
Born place: in The United States
Born date January 1, 1954
See more on GoodReads

Popular quotes

“WHEN SOME BASIC NEED IS LACKING—time, energy, money—consider yourself blessed. Your very lack is an opportunity to latch onto Me in unashamed dependence. When you begin a day with inadequate resources, you must concentrate your efforts on the present moment. This is where you are meant to live—in the present;”
― quote from Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence


“In my innocent cynicism I didn't see that Cleveland was not trying to look tough; he just didn't care. Which is to say, he knew what he was, and was, if not content with, at least resigned to knowing that he was an alcoholic. And an alcoholic is nothing if not sensitive to the proper time and place for his next drink; his death is one of the most carefully planned and prepared for events in the world.”
― Michael Chabon, quote from The Mysteries of Pittsburgh


“She then said to Roxanne in a blood-chilling tone, “I never want to see that Bentley again.”
― Kevin Kwan, quote from China Rich Girlfriend


“Well, it’s probably a good thing Anubis didn’t kiss me. I would have died all over again.”
― Leah Rooper, quote from Jane Unwrapped


“Western tourists transform Thailand into its own little planet of indulgence. Time has no relevance and debauchery, no consequence.”
― Maggie Georgiana Young, quote from Just Another Number


Interesting books

Chronicles, Volume One
(40.9K)
Chronicles, Volume O...
by Bob Dylan
A Man for All Seasons
(9.9K)
A Man for All Season...
by Robert Bolt
Fever Pitch
(29.5K)
Fever Pitch
by Nick Hornby
A History of the World in 10½  Chapters
(10.7K)
A History of the Wor...
by Julian Barnes
What Really Happened in Peru
(23.2K)
What Really Happened...
by Cassandra Clare
The House of the Dead
(13.8K)
The House of the Dea...
by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

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.