Quotes from The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition

“She generally gave herself very good advice, (though she very seldom followed it).”
― Lewis Carroll, quote from The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition

“If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?”
― Lewis Carroll, quote from The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition

“I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, "Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.”
― Lewis Carroll, quote from The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition

“I know who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then”
― Lewis Carroll, quote from The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition

“Why it's simply impassible!
Alice: Why, don't you mean impossible?
Door: No, I do mean impassible. (chuckles) Nothing's impossible!”
― Lewis Carroll, quote from The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition

“No, no! The adventures first, explanations take such a dreadful time.”
― Lewis Carroll, quote from The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition

“Do you know, I always thought unicorns were fabulous monsters, too? I never saw one alive before!"

Well, now that we have seen each other," said the unicorn, "if you'll believe in me, I'll believe in you.”
― Lewis Carroll, quote from The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition

“Contrariwise,' continued Tweedledee, 'if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic.”
― Lewis Carroll, quote from The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition

“I can't explain myself, I'm afraid, sir,' said Alice, 'Because I'm not myself you see.”
― Lewis Carroll, quote from The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition

“The time has come," the walrus said, "to talk of many things: Of shoes and ships - and sealing wax - of cabbages and kings”
― Lewis Carroll, quote from The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition

“And how do you know that you're mad? "To begin with," said the Cat, "a dog's not mad. You grant that?" I suppose so, said Alice. "Well then," the Cat went on, "you see a dog growls when it's angry, and wags it's tail when it's pleased. Now I growl when I'm pleased, and wag my tail when I'm angry. Therefore I'm mad.”
― Lewis Carroll, quote from The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition

“I knew who I was this morning, but I've changed a few times since then.”
― Lewis Carroll, quote from The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition

“Where should I go?" -Alice. "That depends on where you want to end up." - The Cheshire Cat.”
― Lewis Carroll, quote from The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition

“Tut, tut, child!" said the Duchess. "Everything's got a moral, if only you can find it.”
― Lewis Carroll, quote from The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition

“It's a poor sort of memory that only works backwards,' says the White Queen to Alice.”
― Lewis Carroll, quote from The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition

“Alice had got so much into the way of expecting nothing but out-of-the-way things to happen, that it seemed quite dull and stupid for life to go on in the common way.”
― Lewis Carroll, quote from The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition

“I give myself very good advice, but I very seldom follow it.”
― Lewis Carroll, quote from The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition

“I could tell you my adventures—beginning from this morning,” said Alice a little timidly; “but it’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.”
― Lewis Carroll, quote from The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition

“‎You're not the same as you were before," he said. You were much more... muchier... you've lost your muchness.”
― Lewis Carroll, quote from The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition

“Take care of the sense and the sounds will take care of themselves.”
― Lewis Carroll, quote from The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition

“And how many hours a day did you do lessons?' said Alice, in a hurry to change the subject.
Ten hours the first day,' said the Mock Turtle: 'nine the next, and so on.'
What a curious plan!' exclaimed Alice.
That's the reason they're called lessons,' the Gryphon remarked: 'because they lessen from day to day.”
― Lewis Carroll, quote from The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition

“Cheshire Puss,' she began, rather timidly, as she did not at all know whether it would like the name: however, it only grinned a little wider. 'Come, it's pleased so far,' thought Alice, and she went on. 'Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?'

'That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,' said the Cat.

'I don't much care where—' said Alice.

'Then it doesn't matter which way you go,' said the Cat.

'—so long as I get SOMEWHERE,' Alice added as an explanation.

'Oh, you're sure to do that,' said the Cat, 'if you only walk long enough.”
― Lewis Carroll, quote from The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition

“She who saves a single soul, saves the universe.”
― Lewis Carroll, quote from The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition

“Curiouser and curiouser!” Cried Alice (she was so much surprised, that for the moment she quite forgot how to speak good English).”
― Lewis Carroll, quote from The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition

“For, you see, so many out-of-the-way things had happened lately, that Alice had begun to think that very few things indeed were really impossible.”
― Lewis Carroll, quote from The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition

“Do you suppose she's a wildflower?”
― Lewis Carroll, quote from The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition

“Everything's got a moral, if only you can find it”
― Lewis Carroll, quote from The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition

“Come back!" the Caterpillar called after her. "I've something important to say."
This sounded promising, certainly. Alice turned and came back again.
"Keep your temper," said the Caterpillar.”
― Lewis Carroll, quote from The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition

“She tried to fancy what the flame of a candle is like after the candle is blown out, for she could not remember ever having seen such a thing.”
― Lewis Carroll, quote from The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition

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Popular quotes

“The currents and eddies of right and wrong, which you find such plain sailing, I can't navigate. I'm no voyager. But in the thickets of the law, oh, there I'm a forester. I doubt if there's a man alive who could follow me there ...
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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.

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.