Quotes from The Books of the South

“I guess each of us, at some time, finds one person with whom we are compelled toward absolute honesty, one person whose good opinion of us becomes a substitute for the broader opinion of the world. And that opinion becomes more important than all our sneaky, sleazy schemes of greed, lust, self-aggrandizement, whatever we are up to while lying the world into believing we are just plain nice folks. I was her truth object, and she was mine.”
― Glen Cook, quote from The Books of the South

“I guess each of us, at some time, finds one person with whom we are compelled toward absolute honesty, one person whose good opinion of us becomes a substitute for the broader opinion of the world.”
― Glen Cook, quote from The Books of the South

“About you and me, Croaker and his gang, the Lady, Silent, Darling. About all the things we had in common but still couldn’t get along.” “I didn’t see all that much you had in common. Not once you got past having the same enemies.” “Neither did I for a long time. And none of them saw it, either. Else we all might have tried a little harder.” I tried to look like I gave a shit at three in the morning. “Basically we’re all lonely, unhappy people looking for our place, Case. Loners who’d really rather not be but don’t know how. When we get to the door that would let us in—or out—we can’t figure out how to work the latch string.”
― Glen Cook, quote from The Books of the South

“Something he had heard some wise man say. About the three stages of empire, the three generations. First came the conquerers, unstoppable in war. Then came the administrators, who bound it all together into one apparently unshakable, immortal edifice. Then came the wasters, who knew no responsibility and squandered the capital of their inheritance upon whims and vices. And fell to other conquerers.”
― Glen Cook, quote from The Books of the South

“My name is Case. Philodendron Case. Thanks to my Ma. I’ve never even told Raven about that. That’s why I joined the army. To get away from the kind of potato diggers that would stick a name like that on a kid. I had seven sisters and four brothers last time I got a head count. Every one is named after some damned flower. A girl named Iris or Rose, what the hell, hey? But I got a brother named Violet and another brother named Petunia. What kind of people do that do their kids? Where the hell are the Butches and Spikes? Potato diggers.”
― Glen Cook, quote from The Books of the South

“One-Eye scowled at Goblin. “Keep it up, Barf Bag. You’ll be grocery shopping with the turtles.” What the hell did that mean? Some kind of obscure shop talk? But Goblin was as croggled as the rest of us. Grinning, One-Eye resumed gabbling with his relatives.”
― Glen Cook, quote from The Books of the South

“There is nothing so unreasonable and irrational and blind—and just plain silly-looking—as a man who works himself into an obsessive passion.”
― Glen Cook, quote from The Books of the South

“I admitted, “This might not have been one of my brighter ideas.” “On the contrary. It confirms our suspicions that there’s a greater interest in us than should be for simple travellers. They mean to use us.” She was disturbed. “Welcome to life in the Black Company, sweetheart,” I said. “Now you know why I’m cynical about lords and such. Now you know one of the feelings I’ve been trying to get across.” “Maybe I get it. A little. I feel demeaned. Like I’m not human at all but an object that might be useful.” “Like I said, welcome to the Black Company.”
― Glen Cook, quote from The Books of the South

“He’d described himself as looking like a child molester waiting for a chance to strike. He wasn’t comfortable with his appearance.”
― Glen Cook, quote from The Books of the South

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“تؤمن لميس أن تسلط الرجل لا يأتي من فراغ ، وإنما بعد عثوره على امرأة تحب هذا التسلط منه وتساعده على الاستمرار فيه : - أنا أعتقد إنو الرجال ما بيكزبوا لكن همّا لؤما شوية . الواحد يبدأ يتهرب من البنت بعد ما تصير سهلة معاه وبعد ما يحس إنو خلاص ما صارت تمسّل تحدي بالنسبة لو ، لكن ما يقول لها هادا الكلام في وشهّا ، ولا يخليها تحس إنو هوا الغلطان ، لأ! يقنعها إنها هيا اللي عندها مشاكل مش هوا ! بعضهم يدّو البنت إشارات علشان تنهي العلاقة بنفسها ، لكن إحنا البنات الأغبياء عمرنا ما نلقط هادي التلميحات ! نظل نشتغل على العلاقة لطلوع الروح ، حتى لو باين عليها من أولها إنها رايحة في ستين داهية ! عشان كده في النهاية ناكل على روسنا ونتهزأ . احنا اللي ما احترمنا نفسنا من البداية وانسحبنا بكرامتنا . تعطيها مشيل تحليلها المنطقي للموقف : - يا حبيبتي هاذي سياسة تطفيش معروفة عند العيال . تلاقينه فكر وقال وش يخليني آخذ واحدة مطلقة وأنا ما قد تزوجت ؟ إذا الرجال المطلق نفسه يدوّر على بنت ما تكون تزوجت قبله ، تبغين هذا يقتنع بمطلقة ؟ تلاقينه حسبها في مخه وقال بكرة أنا إذا بغيت أصير وزير والا وكيل وزارة يبغى لي واحدة تشرفني اسم وشكل ونسب ومركز اجتماعي وفلوس !ما آخذ واحدة معيوبة (مطلقة) علشان الناس تاكلني بألسنتها ! هذا تفكير شبابنا مع الأسف ! تلاقين الواحد مهما تطور والا ارتقى بفكره ومهما حب وعشق يظل يعتبر الحب مجرد كلام روايات وأفلام وما يثق في كونه دعامة تصلح لبناء أسرة ! تلاقينه مثقف ومتعلم وشايف وعارف ومتأكد بداخله إن الحب غريزة إنسانية طبيعية وما هو عيب إن الواحد يختار شريكة حياته بنفسه ما دام مقتنع فيها ، لكن يظل خايف إنه يسلك طريق غير اللي سلكه أبوه وعمه وجده قبله ، دامهم عايشين مع حريمهم إلى الآن أجل تجربتهم هي الناجحة والمضمونة ، يتبعهم زي الحـ......... ولا يخالفهم علشان ما حد يجي في يوم ويشمت فيه إذا فشل”
― Rajaa Alsanea, quote from Girls of Riyadh

“One is often surprised at the juvenilities which grown people indulge in at sea, and the interest they take in them, and the consuming enjoyment they get out of them.”
― Mark Twain, quote from Following the Equator: A Journey Around the World

“get the collection of blankets and rugs from the boat. They arranged them in the corners of the little room, and thought that it would be very exciting to spend the night there. ‘The two girls can sleep together on this pile of rugs,’ said Julian. ‘And we two boys will have this pile.’ George looked as if she didn’t want to be put with Anne, and classed as a girl. But Anne didn’t”
― Enid Blyton, quote from Five on a Treasure Island

“I’m stark naked, cowering on the edge of Ava’s makeshift arctic-freezing NO-HOT-WATER shower, yelping like a wet puppy.
“You okay in there?” yells Ava, outside the door.
“Umm, yeah, it’s just--”
“A little colder than you’re used too?”
“Ah, yeah,” I say. Freezing is more like it.
“Oh, I’m so sorry Grace.” Ava laughs. “I should have warned you. I guess I’m just so used to it, you know, it’s refreshing to me by now.”
Refreshing?
Refreshing?
I stand outside the icy spray and strategize how I can possibly rinse the shampoo out of my hair without actually freezing to death.
Oh my God, how can you have no hot water and live in ALASKA!”
― Megan Shull, quote from Amazing Grace

“Preventing war is much better than protesting against the war. Protesting the war is too late.”
― Thich Nhat Hanh, quote from Being Peace

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