Quotes from My Brother Michael

Mary Stewart ·  400 pages

Rating: (4.3K votes)


“I suppose one gets to know men quickest by the things they take for granted.”
― Mary Stewart, quote from My Brother Michael


“If a man goes up into Parnassus after sunset, why should he not see strange things? The gods still walk there, and a man who would not go carefully in the country of the gods is a fool.”
― Mary Stewart, quote from My Brother Michael


“I'm not a person whom the sight of olive oil repels, and I love Greek cooking. We had onion soup with grated cheese on top; then the souvlaka, which comes spiced with lemon and herbs, and flanked with chips and green beans in oil and a big dish of tomato salad. Then cheese, and halvas, which is a sort of loaf made of grated nuts and honey, and is delicious. And finally the wonderful grapes of Greece.”
― Mary Stewart, quote from My Brother Michael


“Yes, but the artist?" said Nigel almost fiercely. "He's different, you know he is. He's driven by some compulsion: if he can't do what he knows he has to do with his life he might as well be dead. He's got to break through the world's indifference, or else break himself against it. He can't help it.”
― Mary Stewart, quote from My Brother Michael


“You made a discovery yesterday; remember? 'No man is an Island.' It's true in more ways than one. Don't go on hating yourself because there are some things you can't do and can't face on your own. None of us can.”
― Mary Stewart, quote from My Brother Michael



“The village is perched on a precipitous hillside, and the houses are built in tiers, one up behind the other, the floor of one level with the roof of the next. The whole village looks as if it were just about to slide into the depths of the valley below.”
― Mary Stewart, quote from My Brother Michael


About the author

Mary Stewart
Born place: in Sunderland, The United Kingdom
Born date September 12, 1916
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“هل تعلم؟ ما من شئ أمتع للإنسان من أن يعيش في صخبة حمقى، ومن أن يعزف على أوتارهم: إنه يستفيد من ذلك! لا تأخذ عليَّ أنني أقيم وزناً لأراء المجتمع، وإنني أحرص على بعض المواضعات، وأنني أنشد الاعتبار والجاه. أنا أعرف أنني أعيش في مجتمع تافه .. ولكنني حتى الأن أتحمس له، وأنعق مع الناعقين؛ إنني أتظاهر بالدفاع عنه دفاعاً حاراً، ومع ذلك فمن الممكن، إذا اقتضى الأمر، أن أهجره أول من يهجره. إنني أعرف جميع أفكارهم الجديدة، رغم أنني لم أحفل بها يوماً. وعلام أحفل بها؟ إنني لم أشعر يوماً بعذاب الضمير. إنني أقبل كل شئ، متى كان لي فيه نفع. وأمثالي كثيرون، ونحن جميعاً في أحسن حال حقاً. يمكن أن يفنى كل شئ على الأرض، وأن نظل نحن وحدنا لا نفنى أبداً. إننا نوجد منذ وُجِدَ الوجود .. قد يغرق الكون كله، ونبقى نحن نطفو على وجه الماء، نطفو إلى الأبد. أنظر، بهذه المناسبة، كم تطول حياة أمثالنا. إننا نعمر كثيراً، ألم يلفت نظرك ذلك؟ إننا نعيش حتى الثمانين، حتى التسعين. فالطبيعة نفسها تحمينا إذن .. هه هه .. أريد أن أبلغ التسعين حتماً، أنا لا أحب الموت. سحقاً للفلسفة. فلنشرب، يا عزيزي. كنا نتحدث عن البنات الجميلات لماذا تقوم؟”
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