Цитаты из книги An Accidental Man

Ни о чем так человек не жалеет, как о неразумно проявленном великодушии.

Господь Бог помогает мухам, которые сами себе помогают.

В определенном смысле ничто не имеет решающего значения, хотя в сумме все бесконечно важно. Не важно, что ты делаешь, хотя важно, как ты делаешь. При этом честность – это всего лишь иллюзия, без которой нельзя обойтись.

Как он любит все рассчитывать, систематизировать, уточнять: вот здесь то, а там это! Как можно с точностью объяснить, что она сделала, а чего не сделала, что испытала, а чего не испытала из-за любви к нему? Всю жизнь его любила, всю жизнь о нем думала. Разве любовь можно измерить? Сколько часов в день нужно думать о любимом, чтобы посчитать себя действительно любящей? Абсурдная мысль. Любовь не знает арифметики, она смеется над физиками и философами. Место любви - в мире идеальном.

It was the moment of quietness before a big party when the host and hostess survey their lovely home and wonder why they have been such fools as to invite all those people.

How appallingly clear memory could be. Would these pictures ever mercifully fade?

You set up in business as a sort of sage. All right, you probably don't do it on purpose, it's an instinct. But all it means is that you're prepared to muddle about with people you feel connected with, where the connection is amusing or flattering. It's a sort of sexual drive, really.

(Charlotte about Matthew, p.369)

He had feared really more for himself than for her, had feared prophetically how terribly she would hurt him one day. That fear had made him into a tyrant.

p.358.

When others take refuge in insanity it's too bad for those of us who are incurably sane.

As soon as a few things go well for you you feel guilty instead of grateful. Surely you'll have enough trouble in your life, any human being does, not to fret because you're lucky now?

p.345

People so tied have to live together even if life together is torment since life apart is yet greater torment.

p.311

...you do it by talking. You want to inspire devotion. You want to have people for ever.

(Garth about Matthew, p.304)

Ireland is like Austin. Nice to look at, and ones' sorry for it, but it's somehow — awful.

p.287

Austin doesn't quite think it's all holy, but he attaches such cosmic importance to everything that concerns himself that it comes to much the same thing. If God was nasty he'd be rather like Austin.

I think one should go to see people in trouble and take the risk of offending them.

p.285

It appears that Ralph loves Ann Colindale who loves Richard Pargeter who (currently, he never does anything for long) loves Karen who (although she denies it) love Sebastian who loves me who loves Ludwig who loves me.