Quotes from The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

“I begin with writing the first
sentence—and trusting to Almighty
God for the second.”
― Laurence Sterne, quote from The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

“Human nature is the same in all professions.”
― Laurence Sterne, quote from The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

“Shall we for ever make new books, as apothecaries make new mixtures, by pouring only out of one vessel into another?”
― Laurence Sterne, quote from The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

“Keyholes are the occasions of more sin and wickedness, than all other holes in this world put together.”
― Laurence Sterne, quote from The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

“I have undertaken, you see, to write not only my life, but my opinions also; hoping and expecting that your knowledge of my character, and of what kind of a mortal I am, by the one, would give you a better relish for the other: As you proceed further with me, the slight acquaintance which is now beginning betwixt us, will grow into familiarity; and that, unless one of us is in fault, will terminate in friendship.”
― Laurence Sterne, quote from The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

“The availability of books is not the same as reading them, nor reading the same as understanding them.”
― Laurence Sterne, quote from The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

“I have a strong propensity in me to begin this chapter very nonsensically, and I will not balk my fancy.--Accordingly I set off thus:”
― Laurence Sterne, quote from The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

“…so long as a man rides his Hobby-Horse peaceably and quietly along the King's highway, and neither compels you or me to get up behind him,--pray, Sir, what have either you or I to do with it?”
― Laurence Sterne, quote from The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

“To write a book is for all the world like humming a song—be but in tune with yourself, madam, 'tis no matter how high or how low you take it.”
― Laurence Sterne, quote from The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

“« Je suis persuadé que chaque fois qu'un homme sourit et mieux encore lorsqu'il rit, il ajoute quelque chose à la durée de sa vie.»”
― Laurence Sterne, quote from The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

“I wish either my father or my mother, or indeed both of them, as they were in duty both equally bound to it, had minded what they were about when they begot me; had they duly considered how much depended upon what they were then doing; that not only the production of a rational Being was concerned in it, but that possibly the happy formation and temperature of his body, perhaps his genius and the very cast of his mind;—and, for aught they knew to the contrary, even the fortunes of his whole house might take their turn from the humours and dispositions which were then uppermost: Had they duly weighed and considered all this, and proceeded accordingly, I am verily persuaded I should have made a quite different figure in the world, from that, in which the reader is likely to see me.”
― Laurence Sterne, quote from The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

“Digressions, incontestably, are the sunshine;—they are the life, the soul of reading;—take them out of this book for instance,—you might as well take the book along with them;”
― Laurence Sterne, quote from The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

“[O]f all the several ways of beginning a book which are now in practice throughout the known world, I am confident my own way of doing it is the best—I'm sure it is the most religious—for I begin with writing the first sentence—and trusting to Almighty God for the second.”
― Laurence Sterne, quote from The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

“It is the nature of an hypothesis, when once a man has conceived it, that it assimulates every thing to itself as proper nourishment; and, from the first moment of your begetting it, it generally grows the stronger by every thing you see, hear, read, or understand.”
― Laurence Sterne, quote from The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

“Now there is nothing in this world I abominate worse, than to be interrupted in a story...”
― Laurence Sterne, quote from The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

“Cursed luck! —said he, biting his lip as he shut the door, —for man to be master of one of the finest chains of reasoning in nature, —and have a wife at the same time with such a head-piece, that he cannot hang up a single inference within side of it, to save his soul from destruction.”
― Laurence Sterne, quote from The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

“—My brother Toby, quoth she, is going to be married to Mrs. Wadman.
—Then he will never, quoth my father, be able to lie diagonally in his bed again as long as he lives.”
― Laurence Sterne, quote from The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

“There are a thousand unnoticed openings, continued my father, which let a penetrating eye at once into a man's soul; and I maintain it, added he, that a man of sense does not lay down his hat in coming into a room, -- or take it up in going out of it, but something escapes, which discovers him.”
― Laurence Sterne, quote from The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

“I know there are readers in the world, as well as many other good people in it, who are no readers at all,—who find themselves ill at ease, unless they are let into the whole secret from first to last, of every thing which concerns you.”
― Laurence Sterne, quote from The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

“I define a nose, as follows,—intreating only beforehand, and beseeching my readers, both male and female, of what age, complexion, and condition soever, for the love of God and their own souls, to guard against the temptations and suggestions of the devil, and suffer him by no art or wile to put any other ideas into their minds, than what I put into my definition.—For by the word Nose, throughout all this long chapter of noses, and in every other part of my work, where the word Nose occurs,—I declare, by that word I mean a Nose, and nothing more, or less.”
― Laurence Sterne, quote from The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

“I am this month one whole year older than I was this time twelve-month; and having got, as you perceive, almost into the middle of my fourth volume—and no farther than to my first day's life—'tis demonstrative that I have three hundred and sixty-four days more life to write just now, than when I first set out; so that instead of advancing, as a common writer, in my work with what I have been doing at it—on the contrary, I am just thrown so many volumes back—”
― Laurence Sterne, quote from The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

“Now don't let us give ourselves a parcel of airs, and pretend that the oaths we make free with in this land of liberty of ours are our own; and because we have the spirit to swear them,—imagine that we have had the wit to invent them too.”
― Laurence Sterne, quote from The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

“The chamber-maid had left no ******* *** under the bed:—Cannot you contrive, master, quoth Susannah, lifting up the sash with one hand, as she spoke, and helping me up into the window seat with the other,—cannot you manage, my dear, for a single time to **** *** ** *** ******?”
― Laurence Sterne, quote from The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

“But desire of knowledge, like the thirst of riches, increases ever with the acquisition of it. The”
― Laurence Sterne, quote from The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

“There is not an oath, or at least a curse amongst them, which has not been copied over and over again out of Ernulphus a thousand times but, like all other copies, how infinitely short of the force and spirit of the original! It is thought to be no bad oath - and by itself passes very well - "God damn you" - Set it beside Ernulphus's - "God Almighty the Father damn you - God the Son damn you - God the Holy Ghost damn you" - you see 'tis nothing. - There is an orientality in his, we cannot rise up to.”
― Laurence Sterne, quote from The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

“I wish my father or my mother, or indeed both of them, as they were in duty both equally bound to it, had minded what they were about when they begot me;”
― Laurence Sterne, quote from The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

“—for though he never after went to the house, yet he never met Bridget in the village, but he would either nod or wink, or smile, or look kindly at her,—or (as circumstances directed), he would shake her by the hand,—or ask her lovingly how she did,—or would give her a ribban,—and now and then, though never but when it could be done with decorum, would give Bridget a—”
― Laurence Sterne, quote from The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

“Writing, when properly managed, (as you may be sure I think mine is) is but a different name for conversation. As no one, who knows what he is about in good company, would venture to talk all, so no author, who understands the just boundaries of decorum and good breeding, would presume to think all. The truest respect which you can pay to the reader's understanding, is to halve this matter amicably, and leave him something to imagine, in his turn, as well as yourself.”
― Laurence Sterne, quote from The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

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Popular quotes

“When things are good in your life, take the time to build and fortify your relationship with the Lord. Never become complacent about your relationship with Him, because there’s always room to grow DEEPER!”
― Stormie Omartian, quote from The Power of a Praying Woman

“He’s mourning his son, number 3000 American dead in Iraq, but as far as he can feel, the worst one.”
― Naomi Shihab Nye, quote from Honeybee: Poems Short Prose

“Ah yes, the people concerned. That is very important. You remember, perhaps, who they were?’

Depleach considered.

‘Let me see-it’s a long time ago. There were only five people who were really in it, so to speak-I’m not counting the servants-a couple of faithful old things, scared-looking creatures-they didn’t know anything about anything. No one could suspect them.’

‘There are five people, you say. Tell me about them.’

‘Well, there was Philip Blake. He was Crale’s greatest friend-had known him all his life. He was staying in the house at the time.He’s alive. I see him now and again on the links. Lives at St George’s Hill. Stockbroker. Plays the markets and gets away with it. Successful man, running to fat a bit.’

‘Yes. And who next?’

‘Then there was Blake’s elder brother. Country squire-stay at home sort of chap.’

A jingle ran through Poirot’s head. He repressed it. He mustnot always be thinking of nursery rhymes. It seemed an obsession with him lately. And yet the jingle persisted.

‘This little pig went to market, this little pig stayed at home…’

He murmured:

‘He stayed at home-yes?’

‘He’s the fellow I was telling you about-messed about with drugs-and herbs-bit of a chemist. His hobby. What was his name now? Literary sort of name-I’ve got it. Meredith. Meredith Blake. Don’t know whether he’s alive or not.’

‘And who next?’

‘Next? Well, there’s the cause of all the trouble. The girl in the case. Elsa Greer.’

‘This little pig ate roast beef,’ murmured Poirot.

Depleach stared at him.

‘They’ve fed her meat all right,’ he said. ‘She’s been a go-getter. She’s had three husbands since then. In and out of the divorce court as easy as you please. And every time she makes a change, it’s for the better. Lady Dittisham-that’s who she is now. Open anyTatler and you’re sure to find her.’

‘And the other two?’

‘There was the governess woman. I don’t remember her name. Nice capable woman. Thompson-Jones-something like that. And there was the child. Caroline Crale’s half-sister. She must have been about fifteen. She’s made rather a name for herself. Digs up things and goes trekking to the back of beyond. Warren-that’s her name. Angela Warren. Rather an alarming young woman nowadays. I met her the other day.’

‘She is not, then, the little pig who cried Wee Wee Wee…?’

Sir Montague Depleach looked at him rather oddly. He said drily:

‘She’s had something to cry Wee-Wee about in her life! She’s disfigured, you know. Got a bad scar down one side of her face. She-Oh well, you’ll hear all about it, I dare say.’

Poirot stood up. He said:

‘I thank you. You have been very kind. If Mrs Crale didnot kill her husband-’

Depleach interrupted him:

‘But she did, old boy, she did. Take my word for it.’

Poirot continued without taking any notice of the interruption.

‘Then it seems logical to suppose that one of these five people must have done so.’

‘One of themcould have done it, I suppose,’ said Depleach, doubtfully. ‘But I don’t see why any of themshould. No reason at all! In fact, I’m quite sure none of themdid do it. Do get this bee out of your bonnet, old boy!’

But Hercule Poirot only smiled and shook his head.”
― Agatha Christie, quote from Five Little Pigs

“¿Cuándo cambié a tus ojos?

Adam me miró con otro «tú estás loca».

—No pienso contártelo.

—¿Por qué no?

—Porque es una de esas cosas de tíos que no entenderías y que probablemente te cabreará.

Genial. Ahora estaba definitivamente intrigada.

—No me enfadaré. Solo dímelo por favor —le supliqué con dulzura.

—Vale. —Me miró con cautela—. Fue la mañana siguiente a tu decimoctavo cumpleaños.

Mis ojos se agrandaron al recordarlo. «¿En serio?»

—Sí, la mañana en la que tú… oh, casualmente, me dijiste que habías perdido la virginidad.

¿Fue ese el momento en que se dio cuenta de que sentía algo por mí? Dios… Joss tenía razón, los hombres era trogloditas.

(...) Adam había estado celoso. No fue lo que me pareció en aquel momento.

—Supe que estabas enojado conmigo, pero creí que era otro de esos episodios de «hermano mayor sobreprotector».

—¡No! —Adam movió la cabeza sombríamente, se echó hacia atrás y se apoyó en las palmas de las manos—. Fue uno de esos episodios «estoy buscando a la hermana pequeña de mi mejor amigo, que me acaba de decir que se ha acostado con un tío por primera vez y lo único que veo son sus labios hinchados y su pelo revuelto recién salido de la cama y me he puesto jodidamente cachondo». —Sus ojos se detuvieron en mi boca conforme recordaba—. Mi cuerpo reaccionó a lo que habías dicho antes de que pudiera hacerlo mi cabeza. De repente me encontré preguntándome cómo sería ser acariciado por tus labios, a qué sabrías, cómo me sentiría al tener tus largas piernas alrededor de mi espalda mientras empujaba dentro de ti... —Me sacudí, notando cómo se me calentaba la piel ante el conocimiento de que Adam había estado teniendo pensamientos lascivos sobre mí durante mucho tiempo sin que yo tuviera ni idea—. Así que me cabreé. Conmigo por desearte así. Y también contigo… por dejarle probarte…

Nuestras miradas se encontraron y mi respiración se tornó pesada.

Supe que si no decía nada terminaríamos haciendo el amor en la segunda habitación antes de que pudiéramos acabar nuestro paseo por el sendero de la memoria.”
― Samantha Young, quote from Until Fountain Bridge

“...too much time spent with books had not fitted her to be easy with herself, and other people.”
― Jo Baker, quote from Longbourn

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About BookQuoters

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.