Quotes from The Complete Fairy Tales

“Just living is not enough," said the butterfly, "one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.”
― Hans Christian Andersen, quote from The Complete Fairy Tales

“‎"Does all the beauty of the world stop when you die?"

"No," said the Old Oak; "it will last much longer - longer than I can even think of."

"Well, then," said the little May-fly, "we have the same time to live; only we reckon differently.”
― Hans Christian Andersen, quote from The Complete Fairy Tales

“She was so young that love was still a game to her. . . . She was being neither fair nor clever, but Babette was only nineteen years old.”
― Hans Christian Andersen, quote from The Complete Fairy Tales

“The good and the beautiful is not forgotten; it lives in legend and in song.”
― Hans Christian Andersen, quote from The Complete Fairy Tales

“The right sort (of story) come of themselves: they tap at my forehead and say 'Here we are.”
― Hans Christian Andersen, quote from The Complete Fairy Tales

“[...] and the pea was put in the museum, where it can still be seen, if no one has stolen it.”
― Hans Christian Andersen, quote from The Complete Fairy Tales

“But he hasn't got anything on," a little child said.”
― Hans Christian Andersen, quote from The Complete Fairy Tales

“But he hasn't got anything on!" the whole town cried out at last.”
― Hans Christian Andersen, quote from The Complete Fairy Tales

“A short time ago"—the Star's "short time ago" is called among men "centuries ago"—"my rays followed a young artist. It was in the city of the Popes, in”
― Hans Christian Andersen, quote from The Complete Fairy Tales

“Then he would cry, but what nobody knows nobody cares for; so he would cry till he was tired, and then fall asleep; and while we are asleep we can feel neither hunger nor thirst. Ah, yes; sleep is a capital invention.”
― Hans Christian Andersen, quote from The Complete Fairy Tales

“looking old witch in the road. Her under-lip hung quite down on her breast, and she stopped and said, “Good”
― Hans Christian Andersen, quote from The Complete Fairy Tales

“And now it worked much more evil than before; for some of these pieces were hardly so large as a grain of sand, and they flew about in the wide world, and when they got into people’s eyes, there they stayed; and then people saw everything perverted, or only had an eye for that which was evil. This happened because the very smallest bit had the same power which the whole mirror had possessed. Some persons even got a splinter in their heart, and then it made one shudder, for their heart became like a lump of ice.”
― Hans Christian Andersen, quote from The Complete Fairy Tales

“out-of-doors there was quite a snow-storm. “It is the white bees that are swarming,” said Kay’s old grandmother. “Do the white bees choose a queen?” asked the little boy; for he knew that the honey-bees always have one. “Yes,” said the grandmother, “she flies where the swarm hangs in the thickest clusters. She is the largest of all; and she can never remain quietly on the earth, but goes up again into the black clouds. Many a winter’s night she flies through the streets of the town, and peeps in at the windows; and they then freeze in so wondrous a manner that they look like flowers.”
― Hans Christian Andersen, quote from The Complete Fairy Tales

“in a single instant, can the consciousness of the sin that has been committed in thoughts, words, and actions of our past life, be unfolded to us. When once the conscience is awakened, it springs up in the heart spontaneously, and God awakens the conscience when we least expect it. Then we can find no excuse for ourselves; the deed is there and bears witness against us.”
― Hans Christian Andersen, quote from The Complete Fairy Tales

“And Kay and Gerda looked in each other’s eyes, and all at once they understood the old hymn: “The rose in the valley is blooming so sweet, And angels descend there the children to greet.” There sat the two grown-up persons; grown-up, and yet children; children at least in heart; and it was summer-time; summer, glorious summer!”
― Hans Christian Andersen, quote from The Complete Fairy Tales

“child, looking through bubbles into the future; now those bright bubbles were all behind him. Once more he had”
― Hans Christian Andersen, quote from The Complete Fairy Tales

“came to anything, very remarkable; and there they are for you." So saying, he gave Joanna the gingerbread man, who was still quite whole—and to Knud the broken maiden; but the children had been so much impressed by the story, that they had not the heart to eat the”
― Hans Christian Andersen, quote from The Complete Fairy Tales

“only that the mermaids have no tears, and therefore they suffer more.”
― Hans Christian Andersen, quote from The Complete Fairy Tales

“and from that day, even till now, all the storks have been called Peter. The”
― Hans Christian Andersen, quote from The Complete Fairy Tales

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Popular quotes

“Majesty, I beg your forgiveness for the idignity you suffered and offer you the head of our enemy as—"

"Put that thing down," I said impatiently. "I can't talk to you when you're shaking his head like a damned maraca.”
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“Omri refused to get involved in an argument. He was somehow scared that if he talked about the Indian, something bad would happen. In fact, as the day went on and he longed more and more to get home, he began to feel certain that the whole incredible happening—well, not that it hadn’t happened, but that something would go wrong. All his thoughts, all his dreams were centered on the miraculous, endless possibilities opened up by a real, live, miniature Indian of his very own. It would be too terrible if the whole thing turned out to be some sort of mistake.”
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“You need to think about all that, Sam,” Dekka said. “You’re the leader, after all.”
“Not anymore,” he said.
Dekka laughed. She stood up and stretched. “Sam: you’re still the leader. You’re always going to be the leader. It’s not something you choose: it’s something you are.”
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“She was also, by the standards of other people, lost. She would not see it like that. She knew where she was, it was just that everywhere else didn't.”
― Terry Pratchett, quote from Equal Rites

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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.