“I always say the truth is best even when we find it unpleasant. Any rat in a sewer can lie. It's how rats are. It's what makes them rats. But a human doesn't run and hide in dark places, because he's something more. Lying is the most personal act of cowardice there is.”
― Nancy Farmer, quote from The House of the Scorpion
“I love you," Matt said.
I love you, too," Maria replied. "I know that's a sin, and I'll probably go to hell for it."
If I have a soul, I'll go with you," promised Matt.”
― Nancy Farmer, quote from The House of the Scorpion
“People’s souls are like gardens. You can’t turn your back on someone because his garden’s full of weeds. You have to give him water and lots of sunshine.”
― Nancy Farmer, quote from The House of the Scorpion
“He has his good side and his bad side. Very dark indeed is his majesty when he wants to be. When he was young, he made a choice, like a tree does when it decides to grow one way or the other. He grew large and green until he shadowed over the whole forest, but most of his branches are twisted.”
― Nancy Farmer, quote from The House of the Scorpion
“Slow people are just paying close attention.”
― Nancy Farmer, quote from The House of the Scorpion
“Patience and love can do anything.”
― Nancy Farmer, quote from The House of the Scorpion
“After all, what is suffering but an awareness of suffering?”
― Nancy Farmer, quote from The House of the Scorpion
“Guardian angels guide the steps of idiots.”
― Nancy Farmer, quote from The House of the Scorpion
“Tam Lin says rabbits give up when they're caught by coyotes [...]. He says they consent to die because their animals and can't understand hope. But humans are different. They fight against death no matter how bad things seem, and sometimes, even when everything's against them, they win.”
― Nancy Farmer, quote from The House of the Scorpion
“No one can tell the difference between a clone and a human. That's because there isn't any difference. The idea of clones being inferior is a filthy lie.”
― Nancy Farmer, quote from The House of the Scorpion
“I don't mind," he whispered. "If I had a soul, I'd probably wind up in hell anyway.”
― Nancy Farmer, quote from The House of the Scorpion
“Power's a strange thing, lad. It's a drug people like me crave it.”
― Nancy Farmer, quote from The House of the Scorpion
“Does is make the dragon happy?" Matt asked.
"Does is make the dragon happy?" echoed Tam Lin. "Why, I never thought of that. I suppose it does. What other pleasure can a creature have whose life consists of making everyone else miserable?”
― Nancy Farmer, quote from The House of the Scorpion
“A little extra forgiveness never hurts," said Matt, quoting one of Celia's favorite sayings.”
― Nancy Farmer, quote from The House of the Scorpion
“Most of all, it was the wild music that impressed Matt. It did the same thing that playing the piano had done when he was frightened and lonely. It took him into another world where only beauty existed and where he was sage from hatred and disappointment and death.”
― Nancy Farmer, quote from The House of the Scorpion
“Tam Lin says rabbits give up when they're caught by coyotes," Matt said after he'd calmed enough to trust his voice. "He says they consent to die because they're animals and can't understand hope. Hit humans are different.. They fight against death no matter how bad things seem, and sometimes, even when everything's against them, they win."
"Yeah. About once in a million years," said Chacho.
"Twice in a million," said Matt. "There's who of us."
"You are one dumb bunny," said Chacho, but he stopped crying.”
― Nancy Farmer, quote from The House of the Scorpion
“You don’t have a soul, so you can’t be baptized. All animals are like that. I think it’s unfair and sometimes I don’t believe it. After all, what would heaven be without birds or dogs or horses? And what about trees and flowers? They don’t have souls either. Does that mean heaven looks like a cement parking lot? I suppose this is what the nuns call a theological problem.”
― Nancy Farmer, quote from The House of the Scorpion
“She would drink until the trembling stopped. Then she would wilt over the piano like one of Celia's spinaches when Tam Lin forgot to water the garden.”
― Nancy Farmer, quote from The House of the Scorpion
“Tom is a filthy little pustule. If you quote me, I'll deny it!”
― Nancy Farmer, quote from The House of the Scorpion
“When u are small, u can choose which way to grow. If you are kind and decent, you grow into a kind and decent man. And if you are like El Patron . . . Just think about it.” – Tam Lin”
― Nancy Farmer, quote from The House of the Scorpion
“I decided to forgive you after reading The Little Flowers of Saint Francis,” María began. “You remember the wolf I talked about? Well, he was a monster who terrorized everybody until Saint Francis gave him a talking-to. He was sweet as a lamb and never ate anything but vegetables after that.” “I didn’t know wolves could digest vegetables,” said Matt, who had studied biology. “That’s not the point.”
― Nancy Farmer, quote from The House of the Scorpion
“Matt discovered that no matter how terrified he’d been at first, it wasn’t possible to stay terrified. It was as though his brain said, Okay. That’s enough. Let’s find something else to do.”
― Nancy Farmer, quote from The House of the Scorpion
“When you're small, you can choose which way to grow. If you're kind and decent, you grow into a kind and decent man. The idea that if you were mean, you might stay mean forever had never occurred to him.”
― Nancy Farmer, quote from The House of the Scorpion
“Scar tissue had formed a knot on the bottom of his foot. He inspected the writing frequently—PROPERTY OF THE ALACRÁN ESTATE—but the scar had sliced through the tiny lettering. It was more difficult to make out the words.”
― Nancy Farmer, quote from The House of the Scorpion
“As for asking Tam Lin, Matt didn’t know how to bring up the subject. By the way, is anyone planning to cut me up into T-bone steaks? Even more terrifying was the bodyguard’s possible answer: You hit the nail on the head there, laddie. I always said you were bright as a button.”
― Nancy Farmer, quote from The House of the Scorpion
“I keep a small amount of laudanum for my nerves.” She keeps about enough to wipe out a city, Matt thought.”
― Nancy Farmer, quote from The House of the Scorpion
Nancy Farmer
Born place: in Phoenix, Arizona, The United States
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“Listen, I don't care what you say about my race, creed, or religion, Fatty, but don't tell me I'm not sensitive to beauty. That's my Achilles' heel, and don't you forget it. To me, everything is beautiful. Show me a pink sunset, and I'm limp, by God. Anything. Peter Pan. Even before the curtain goes up at Peter Pan I'm a goddamn puddle of tears.”
― J.D. Salinger, quote from J.D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey
“Nothing is more terrifying than fearlessness.”
― Cornelia Funke, quote from Muerte de tinta
“I seem to be an expert at getting people's backs up. And I fully admit to occasionally doing it on purpose. Must be the boredom." Alex sighed.
"You mean, you like to test people? Push them to their limits? Use the shock tactic of saying out loud the things that most other human beings wouldn't dare to? In order to deflate them, to break down their guard, which immediately puts you in control?"
"Touche, Madam." Alex looked at her with new respect. "Well now, with that piercing riposte, plus the slap this afternoon, I'd say we're quits, wouldn't you?”
― Lucinda Riley, quote from The Light Behind the Window
“The practice which obtains amongst the Americans of fixing the standard of their judgment in themselves alone, leads them to other habits of mind. As they perceive that they succeed in resolving without assistance all the little difficulties which their practical life presents, they readily conclude that everything in the world may be explained, and that nothing in it transcends the limits of the understanding. Thus they fall to denying what they cannot comprehend; which leaves them but little faith for whatever is extraordinary, and an almost insurmountable distaste for whatever is supernatural.”
― Alexis de Tocqueville, quote from De la Démocratie en Amérique, tome II
“If you are driven by fear, anger or pride nature will force you to compete. If you are guided by courage, awareness, tranquility and peace nature will serve you.”
― Amit Ray, quote from Nonviolence: The Transforming Power
The Parafaith War
Towards Zero
Who Fears Death
The Immigrants
On Heroes and Tombs
Buffering: Unshared...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.
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