Thomas Keneally · 178 pages
Rating: (1.3K votes)
“In the mind of a true snob there are certain limited criteria to denote the value of human existence. Jimmie's criteria were: home, hearth, wife, land. Those who possessed these had beatitude unchallengable. Other men had accidental, random life. Nothing better.”
― Thomas Keneally, quote from The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith
“Coitus is random, children are definite.”
― Thomas Keneally, quote from The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith
“The truest crime remaining to him to commit was the waste of love. It should be bequeathed, as land is.”
― Thomas Keneally, quote from The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith
“She yawns for men and not with her mouth. She weeps for men and not with her eyes. She drinks men down, she is a cave for me.”
― Thomas Keneally, quote from The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith
“She yawns for men and not with her mouth. She weeps for men and not with her eyes. She drinks men down, she is a cave for men.”
― Thomas Keneally, quote from The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith
“Lower ways of life give way to higher.”
― Thomas Keneally, quote from The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith
Thomas Keneally
Born place: in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Born date October 7, 1935
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“He acts like an animal, has an animal's habits! Eats like one, moves like one, talks like one! There's even something -sub-human -something not quite to the stage of humanity yet! Yes, something - ape-like about him, like one of those pictures I've seen in - anthropological studies! Thousands and thousands of years have passed him right by, and there he is - Stanley Kowalski - survivor of the Stone Age! Bearing the raw meat home from the kill in the jungle! And you - you here - waiting for him! Maybe he'll strike you or maybe grunt and kiss you! That is, if kisses have been discovered yet! Night falls and the other apes gather! There in the front of the cave, all grunting like him, and swilling and gnawing and hulking! His poker night! - you call it - this party of apes! Somebody growls - some creature snatches at something - the fight is on! God! Maybe we are a long way from beng made in God's image, but Stella - my sister - there has been some progress since then! Such things as art - as poetry and music - such kinds of new light have come into the world since then! In some kinds of people some tendered feelings have had some little beginning! That we have got to make grow! And cling to, and hold as our flag! In this dark march towards what-ever it is we're approaching . . . Don't - don't hang back with the brutes!”
― Tennessee Williams, quote from A Streetcar Named Desire
“Maneck studied beggermaster's excessive chatter, his attempt to hide his heartache. Why did human do that to their feelings? Whether it was anger or love or sadness, they always tried to put something else forward in its place. And then there were those who pretended their emotions were bigger and grander than anyone else's. A little annoyance they acted like gigantic rage; where a smile or chuckle will do, they laughed hysterically. Either way, it was dishonest.”
― Rohinton Mistry, quote from A Fine Balance
“Unlimited power in the hands of limited people always leads to cruelty.”
― David Mitchell, quote from Cloud Atlas
“Sophie took the book out of his hand. ‘Nicholas Nickleby,’ she read aloud. ‘By Dahl’s Chickens,’ the BFG said. ‘By who?’ Sophie said.”
― Roald Dahl, quote from The BFG
“You forget I am a woman, Your Eminence, and thus not so subtle as a prince of the Church.”
― Philip Pullman, quote from The Subtle Knife
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Significance
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