Quotes from The Big Nowhere

James Ellroy ·  472 pages

Rating: (11.1K votes)


“It all came down to money - the great equalizer and common denominator.”
― James Ellroy, quote from The Big Nowhere


“Call me Dudley. We're of equal rank. I'm older, but you're far better looking. I can tell we're going to be grand partners.”
― James Ellroy, quote from The Big Nowhere


“He was about to pocket a list of local sanitariums when he heard "Traitor," and saw Mickey and Herman Gerstein standing a few feet away. Cohen with a clean shot, but a half dozen witnesses spoiling his chance. Buzz said, "I suppose this means my guard gig's kaput. Huh, Mick?" The man looked hurt as much as he looked mad. "Goyishe shitheel traitor. Cocksucker. Communist. How much money did I give you? How much money did I set up for you that you should do me like you did?" Buzz said, "Too much, Mick." "That is no smart answer, you fuck. You should beg. You should beg that I don't do you slow." "Would it help?" "No." "There you go, boss." Mickey said, "Herman, leave this room"; Gerstein exited. The typers kept typing and the clerks kept clerking. Buzz gave the little hump's cage a rattle. "No hard feelin's, huh?" Mickey said, "I will make you a deal, because when I say "deal," it is always to trust. Right?" "Trust" and "deal" were the man's bond-it was why he went with him instead of Siegel or Dragna. "Sure, Mick." "Send Audrey back to me and I will not hurt a hair on her head and I will not do you slow. Do you trust my word?" "Yes." "Do you trust I'll get you?" "You're the oddson favorite, boss." "Then be smart and do it." "No deal. Take care, Jewboy. I'll miss you. I really will.”
― James Ellroy, quote from The Big Nowhere


“Cliché shouters, sloganeers, fashion-conscious pseudoidealists. Locusts attacking social causes with the wrong information and bogus solutions, their one legit gripe--the Sleepy Lagoon case--almost blown through guilt by association: fellow travelers soliciting actual Party members for picketing and leaflet distribution, nearly discrediting everything the Sleepy Lagoon Defense Committee said and did. Hollywood writers and actors and hangers-on spouting cheap trauma, Pinko platitudes and guilt over raking in big money during the Depression, then penancing the bucks out to spurious leftist causes. People led to Lesnick's couch by their promiscuity and dipshit politics.”
― James Ellroy, quote from The Big Nowhere


“Howard got sex-crazy in the winter and probably wanted to send him out on a poontang prowl: Schwab's Drugstore, the extra huts at Fox and Universal, Brownie snapshots of well-lunged girls naked from the waist up. His Majesty's yes or no, then standard gash contracts to the yes's--one-liners in RKO turkeys in exchange for room and board at Hughes Enterprises' fuck pads and frequent nighttime visits from The Man himself.”
― James Ellroy, quote from The Big Nowhere



“Don't make a career out of underestimating me." — Claire de Haven”
― James Ellroy, quote from The Big Nowhere


“Twenty-nine years old and on her third masters degree because she’s afraid to go out and meet the world. Sad, isn’t it?” Mal sighed. “Tragic.”
― James Ellroy, quote from The Big Nowhere


About the author

James Ellroy
Born place: in Los Angeles, California, The United States
Born date March 4, 1948
See more on GoodReads

Popular quotes

“Now that I thought of it, perhaps whacking the burglar wasn’t quite…necessary.
It occurred to me that he said “Hi.” I thought he did, anyway. He said hi. Do burglars usually
greet their victims? Hi. I’d like to rob your house. Does that work for you?”
― Kristan Higgins, quote from Too Good to Be True


“And yet he knew he would not leave. He must trust that they would triumph over this giant, despite his strength and power. This could very well be a ploy to lead him away from Bifrost so that another assault could be undertaken while the bridge was left unguarded. Though”
― Mike Vasich, quote from Loki


“No matter how far back you cut a willow tree, it will never really die.”
― Ann Brashares, quote from 3 Willows: The Sisterhood Grows


“When he got to the shoe putting-on stage he called Hosain again. Putting on and taking off his own shoes and boots were activities at which he drew the line if there was a man available to perform these services. He had learned to draw the line in Muzzafirabad where his first CO, Colonel Gawstone, advised him never to stoop if he could help it. The climate wasn't right for it. Mrs. Gawstone had stooped to pick up a glove and keeled right over and never got up. They had buried her the next day.”
― Paul Scott, quote from The Towers of Silence


“We should be careful
Of each other, we should be kind
While there is still time”
― Philip Larkin, quote from Collected Poems


Interesting books

Pure Vision: The Magdalene Revelation
(48)
Pure Vision: The Mag...
by Perri Birney
The Lost Girls of Rome
(3.5K)
The Lost Girls of Ro...
by Donato Carrisi
Blutsschwestern
(476.2K)
Blutsschwestern
by Richelle Mead
Forever
(5.3K)
Forever
by Chanda Hahn
La petite fille de Monsieur Linh
(4.4K)
La petite fille de M...
by Philippe Claudel
Daughter of Smoke and Bone
(249.8K)
Daughter of Smoke an...
by Laini Taylor

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.