Quotes from The Painted Man

“Let others determine your worth and you're already lost, because no one wants people worth more than themselves.”
― Peter V. Brett, quote from The Painted Man

“Welcome to adulthood." Cob said. "Every child finds a day when they realize that adults can be weak and wrong just like everyone else. After that day, you are an adult. Like it or not.”
― Peter V. Brett, quote from The Painted Man

“We are what we choose to be, girl,' she said. 'Let others determine your worth, and you've already lost, because no one wants people worth more than themselves.”
― Peter V. Brett, quote from The Painted Man

“I don't pretend to see the path, but I know it's there all the same. One day, we'll look back and wonder how we ever missed it.”
― Peter V. Brett, quote from The Painted Man

“Choose a book," she said. "Any book. Bring it here, and I'll show you what else the world can offer.”
― Peter V. Brett, quote from The Painted Man

“People make the world go, and Mothers make people, so they lead the dance.”
― Peter V. Brett, quote from The Painted Man

“There are times in life when we feel so very alive that when they pass, we feel … diminished. When that happens, we’ll do almost anything to feel so alive again.”
― Peter V. Brett, quote from The Painted Man

“Because Ragen is kind hearted and strong at the same time, and I know how rare that kind of man is. Because I never doubted that he loved me, and would come back. But most of all, because the moments I had with him were worth all the ones apart.”
― Peter V. Brett, quote from The Painted Man

“There's a wide world out there, for those willing to brave the dark.”
― Peter V. Brett, quote from The Painted Man

“Hiding isn't always enough, Arlen,' Ragen said. 'Sometimes, hiding kills something inside of you, so that even if you survive the demons, you don't really.”
― Peter V. Brett, quote from The Painted Man

“I'll take my chances with this life all the same. The next one will find you no matter where you run. No sense chasing it.”
― Peter V. Brett, quote from The Painted Man

“You can't help everyone, Arlen," Ragen said, "but you should make every
effort to help those you can.”
― Peter V. Brett, quote from The Painted Man

“I learned a lot from this book, because I wrote it myself. My rating may be somewhat biased as a result.”
― Peter V. Brett, quote from The Painted Man

“Rojer nodded, but his eye grew wet. Leesha squeezed his hand. "Herb Gatherers see death often," she told him. "No one, no one, ever goes to the Creator with all their business complete. We all get a different length of time, but it needs to be enough, regardless.”
― Peter V. Brett, quote from The Painted Man

“We cannot tell the rain when to come, nor the winter, nor the cold.”
― Peter V. Brett, quote from The Painted Man

“It doesn't serve the dead to stop living yourself, out of guilt.”
― Peter V. Brett, quote from The Painted Man

“Few could match her wisdom, and fewer still her stubbornness.”
― Peter V. Brett, quote from The Painted Man

“Let people hide in their homes, caged like chickens. Cowards deserve no better.”
― Peter V. Brett, quote from The Painted Man

“Why would you do that for me?” Leesha asked.
Rojer smiled, taking her hand in his crippled one. “We're survivors, aren't we?” he asked. “Someone once told me that survivors have to look out for one another.”
― Peter V. Brett, quote from The Painted Man

“There's other ways to protect yourself and your family, Arlen. Wisdom. Prudence. Humility. It's not brave to fight a battle you can't win.”
― Peter V. Brett, quote from The Painted Man

“Don't be so quick to leave childhood behind, girl," Bruna said. "You'll find you miss it when its gone.”
― Peter V. Brett, quote from The Painted Man

“Walk with me.” Abban held up his crutch.
“It is a long way to the palace, Par’chin,” he said.
“I’ll walk slowly,” Arlen said, knowing the crutch had nothing to do with the refusal.
“You don’t want to be seen with me outside the market, my friend,” Abban warned. “That alone may cost you the respect you’ve earned in the Maze.”
“Then I’ll earn more,” Arlen said. “What good is respect, if I can’t walk with my friend?”
― Peter V. Brett, quote from The Painted Man

“He took a step back the way he had come.
No, he decided. Going back is Da's way. Whatever happens, I'm going forward.”
― Peter V. Brett, quote from The Painted Man

“The boy was weeping openly when Leesha turned back to him. “Just put me back out into the night,” he said, holding up a crippled hand. “I was meant to die a long time ago, and everyone that tries to save me ends up dead.”
Leesha took the crippled hand in hers and looked him in the eye. “I'll take my chances,” she said, squeezing. “We survivors have to look out for one another.”
― Peter V. Brett, quote from The Painted Man

“Rojer!” his mother cried, stumbling towards the washing trough before falling to her knees. Screaming in pain, she reached back and got a firm grip on one of the coreling's horns.
“You... can't... have... my... son!” she screamed, and threw herself forward, pulling on the horn with all her strength. Torn from its perch, the demon took ribbons of flesh with it, as Kally flipped it into the trough.
Soaking crockery shattered on impact, and the flame demon gurgled and thrashed, steam filling the air as the water was brought to an instant boil. Kally screamed as her arms burned, but she held the creature under until its thrashes stopped.”
― Peter V. Brett, quote from The Painted Man

“You can fight corelings?' he asked.
'You can fight anything, Arlen,' Ragen said. 'The problem with fighting corelings is that more often than not, you lose.”
― Peter V. Brett, quote from The Painted Man

“They follow their hearts. I know it sounds like madness, Arlen, but deep down, men want to fight, like they did in tales of old. They want to protect their women and children as men should. But they can't, because the great wards are lost, so they knot themselves like caged hares, sitting terrified through the night. But sometimes, especially when you see loved ones die, the tension breaks you and you just snap.”
― Peter V. Brett, quote from The Painted Man

“I’m not going to hide away and leave my friends to the corelings!” she shouted. “We’ll find a way to ward the Holy House, and make our stand here. Together! And if demons should dare come and try to take my children, I have secrets of fire that will burn them from this world!”
My children, Leesha thought, in the sudden silence that followed. Am I Bruna now, to think of them so?
She looked around, taking in the scared and sooty faces, not a one taking charge, and realized for the first time that as far as everyone was concerned, she was Bruna. She was Herb Gatherer for Cutter's Hollow now. Sometimes that meant bringing healing, and sometimes...
Sometimes it meant a dash of pepper in the eyes, or burning a wood demon in your yard.”
― Peter V. Brett, quote from The Painted Man

“Bruna nodded. “We keep the knowledge of the old world for the day it will be needed again, but that knowledge comes with a great responsibility. If the histories of the ancient wars of man tell us anything, it’s that men cannot be trusted with the secrets of fire.”
― Peter V. Brett, quote from The Painted Man

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Popular quotes

“We healed each other,” Lexi said, without removing her attention from her husband. “We were both lost and knocked down, but we held on tight, and raised each other from the ashes. He brought me my rainbow, Elsie,” she huffed a loving laugh and said, “he brought me the stars.”

I didn’t know what that reference meant, but I could feel the magnitude of what he meant to her. Lexi slipped out of the car and I did too. I walked to the back gate, staying out of sight. I glanced back, seeing Austin, with his gang tattoos and intimidating stature, taking Lexi in his arms and pressing a soft kiss on her mouth.”
― Tillie Cole, quote from Sweet Soul

“While there was still water in the middle of the pools, animals attempted to reach it through the silt but would get bogged. We spent day after day checking dams, finding about eight to ten animals hopelessly mired in the silt at each and every dam, primarily kangaroos and wallabies.
We had to get to the dams early in the morning. Some of the kangaroos had been struggling all night. Steve engineered planks and straps to rescue the animals. The silt would suck us down just as fast, so we had to be careful going out to rescue the roos. Because of the lactic acid buildup in their tissues (a product of their all-night exertions to free themselves), some of the kangaroos were too far gone and couldn’t recover. But we saved quite a few.
At one point, Bob came out to lend a hand. I was at the homestead, and the ovulation strip turned bright blue. I hustled over to the creek bed where Steve and his dad were working.
I motioned to Steve. “The strip is blue,” I said. He looked around nervously.
“I’m out here working with me dad,” he said. “What do you want me to do?”
“Just come on,” I whispered impatiently.
“But my dad’s right here!”
I smiled and took his hand. We headed up the dry creek bed and spent some quality time with the biting ants and the prickles.
It was after this trip to our conservation property in the Brigalow Belt that I discovered I was pregnant. I tried to let Steve know by sitting down at the table and tucking into a bowl of ice cream and pickles.
“What are you doing?” asked a totally confused Steve. I explained, and we were both totally overjoyed, keeping our fingers crossed for a boy to go along with our darling daughter.”
― Terri Irwin, quote from Steve & Me

“Whenever you hear the phrase zero tolerance, remember, someone is bullshitting you.”
― George Carlin, quote from When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?

“Caro sat without speaking, turning toward him her look that was neither sullen nor expectant but soberly attentive; and, once, a glance in which tenderness and apprehension were great and indivisible, giving unbearable, excessive immediacy to the living of these moments. Paul had seen that look before, when they first lay down together at the inn beyond Avebury Circle.”
― Shirley Hazzard, quote from The Transit of Venus

“I can't expect others to share my virtues. It's good enough for me if they share my vices.”
― André Gide, quote from The Immoralist

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