“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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“Diego había usado el florete a diario desde que era un niño, pero no había tenido que pelear en serio. Su único duelo a muerte fue con pistolas y había sido mucho más limpio. Comprobó que no hay nada honorable en un combate real, donde las reglas no cuentan para nada. La única regla es vencer, cueste lo que cueste. Los filos de las armas no chocaban en una elegante coreografía, como en las clases de esgrima, sino que apuntaban directamente al enemigo para atravesarlo. La caballerosidad no existía, los golpes eran feroces y no se daba cuartel a nadie. La sensación que transmitía el acero al entrar en la carne de un hombre era indescriptible. Se apoderó de él una mezcla de despiadada exaltación, de repugnancia y triunfo, perdió la noción de la realidad y se transformó en una bestia.”
― Isabel Allende, quote from Zorro
“Life, it turns out, isn’t poetry! And do you know why? Because it’s so resistant to criticism!”
― Andrzej Sapkowski, quote from Chrzest ognia
“You can fill a glass full to the brim with milk, and fill another glass of the same size brim full of popcorn, and then you can put all the popcorn kernel by kernel into the milk, and the milk will not run over. You cannot do this with bread. Popcorn and milk are the only two things that will go into the same place.”
― Laura Ingalls Wilder, quote from Farmer Boy
“This is the Malachai? (Jericho)
In all his pain in the ass glory. (Acheron)
Are we through now, Dad? Can I go play with my friends if I promise to be a good boy? I’ll even try and make it home by curfew. (Nick)”
― Sherrilyn Kenyon, quote from Dream Warrior
“I was in heaven, married to the devil.”
― Jettie Woodruff, quote from Suit
Seize the Night
On Liberty
Alienated
Barely Breathing
Forest Born
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