Quotes from Pilgrim

Timothy Findley ·  538 pages

Rating: (2.9K votes)


“I have dreamt of a life you will never know; the life of a loving and caring companion. I simply thought you should know. I see that you are in trouble. I watch and listen to you. I want to help, but you won't let me. So be it. I love you still. Do what you will, I shall watch over you.”
― Timothy Findley, quote from Pilgrim


“Има хора, чието преживяване на живота е толкова различно от нашето собствено, че ги наричаме луди. За чисто удобство. Наричаме ги така, за да се освободим от поемането на отговорност за тяхното място в човешката общност. И затова ги изпращаме в приюти, затваряме ги, за да не се виждат и чуват, зад заключени врати. Но за тях няма разлика между това, което ние смятаме за сънища и кошмари, и света, в който протича всекидневният им живот... Според тях може да има святост в дървета и жаби, живи богове в огъня и водата и глас във вихрушката, към който, ако само се вслушаме, те ще насочат вниманието ни... Те не живеят в “други светове”, а в едно измерение на този свят, което ние от страх отказваме да приемем.”
― Timothy Findley, quote from Pilgrim


“Има степени на лудост, разбира се. Аз открих следи в самия себе си, признавам. – Той махна с ръка. – Но лудостта е силен звяр и не може да бъде уловена в теории. С времето се научих не само да не вярвам на теории, но и активно да им се противопоставям. Фактите са важни. И ние разполагаме само с фактите за всяка индивидуална лудост. Общите теории за лудостта се разкриват като се разкрива истинската ѝ природа във всеки пациент, един по един по един. Моята собствена лудост се измерва в скоби – както всяка лудост. И поради това, аз се научих не само да се справям с нея, но и да живея с нея. И което е най-важно, да функционирам въпреки нейното наличие.”
― Timothy Findley, quote from Pilgrim


“music is the worst of them - roiling and boiling - overly emotionalized on the one hand, overly intellectuallized on the other. Bach and Mozart indeed! Bach inevitably makes me think of fish in a barrel! round and round and round they go and nothing ever happens. Nothing ! Tum -de-dum-dum. Tum -de-dum-dum and that's all! Tum -de-dum-de-bloody-dum-dum! As for Mozart, his emotions did not mature beyond the age of twelve. never achieved adolescence, let alone puberty. his music merely combines a popular talent for slapstick and a commercial talent for tears. No - not tears. For sobs. Beethoven, pompous. Chopin - sickly sweet and given to tantrums - Tum -de-dum-dum- Bang! and Wagner - a self -centred bore. and Stravinsky - discordant, rude and blows his music through his nose”
― Timothy Findley, quote from Pilgrim


“Happiness is not our goal. The achievement of happiness deflects us from our true destiny which is the utter realization of self.”
― Timothy Findley, quote from Pilgrim



“Светът, каза той, свършва всеки ден – и започва на следващия”
― Timothy Findley, quote from Pilgrim


“Животът изисква да го живеем до непоносимост.”
― Timothy Findley, quote from Pilgrim


“Ако оцеляването ѝ зависи от вярата ѝ, че живее на Луната, тогава ние трябва да приемем нейната реалност, а не тя нашата.”
― Timothy Findley, quote from Pilgrim


“...only one deaf God, who cannot see, remains—claiming all of creation as His own. If people would invest one hundredth of their devotion to this God in the living brothers and sisters amongst whom they stand, we might have a chance of surviving one another. As it is...”
― Timothy Findley, quote from Pilgrim


“The art of presenting oneself, he had once told Sybil, lies in creating an immediate shock which is countered by a slow retreat into custom. People never quite recover from my cravats, but they will never find the equal of my tailor. To be memorable is all, when it comes to dress.”
― Timothy Findley, quote from Pilgrim



About the author

Timothy Findley
Born place: in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Born date October 30, 1930
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“And so I make my way across the room steadily, carefully. Hands shaking, I pull the string, lifting my blinds. They rise slowly, drawing more moonlight into the room with every inch
And there he is, crouched low on the roof. Same leather jacket. The hair is his, the cheekbones, the perfect nose . . . the eyes: dark and mysterious . . . full of secrets. . . . My heart flutters, body light. I reach out to touch him, thinking he might disappear, my fingers disrupted by the windowpane.
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I mouth “Hi” back.
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Not only am I a liar . . .
I’m selfish.
Selfish enough to want it all.
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I hold my breath, waiting.
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And if you can ever find it in your (heart) to forgive me . . .
There’s a big, black “heart” symbol where the word should be.
I will do everything it takes to make it up to you. He closes the notebook and tosses it beside him. It lands on the roof with a dull thwack. Then, lifting his index finger, he draws an X across his chest. Cross my heart.
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