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Quotes from Grace Notes — Bernard MacLaverty

born 1942 Ireland

← All quotes by Bernard MacLaverty

13 quotes

An earthquake in one department created tidal waves in others.

Grace Notes (1997)

How can something be utterly simple and amazingly complex at the same time? Things are simple or complex according to how much attention is paid to them.

Grace Notes (1997)

"I wish I was artistic," said Liz, "then I could be temperamental."

Grace Notes (1997)

On a slippery slope the only way was down.

Grace Notes (1997)

Purring was the funniest thing, like a motorbike in the distance.

Grace Notes (1997)

When she met men the first things she took account of were the negative things. Wimpishness, a bully, shiftiness, recklessness, elaborate facial hair.

Grace Notes (1997)

Are you a conduit for the music?

Grace Notes (1997)

Steady as a three-legged stool.

Grace Notes (1997)

It was a way of not thinking - to concentrate on her surroundings. If she stared at things, then it helped block out stuff.

Grace Notes (1997)

"The individual matters," said Mrs Gallagher.

Grace Notes (1997)

In a Portstewart guest house her father liked to play tricks when he had eaten his egg. He would put the shell upside down in someone else's eggcup. The McKennas would sit and watch the next person lift a spoon and cave in the top of the hollow egg.

Grace Notes (1997)

The island kids had TV, radio. Their remote surroundings were seen as a deprivation, not something to be enjoyed. They felt cut off from the mainstream. To be on an island was a source of discontent, not as good as the mainland.

Grace Notes (1997)

She smiled to prove everything was all right. It was an odd device, this rearrangement of muscles of the face which said everything is all right. No need to enquire within. It could be used as a barrier to fend off emotional intruders.

Grace Notes (1997)

Attribution

Quotes and notes from Wikiquote: Bernard MacLaverty (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.