254 quotes
Pain and loss. Hope dimmed. Ambition quenched. Love becoming an unfunny joke on the lovers! Body saying aye; mind saying nay; now saying can; future saying can’t.
Shadow's End (1994)
“Parasites,” hissed Aunt Six, just loud enough that he could not fail to hear. “No skills of their own, so they must live by preventing others from using common sense.”
The Flight of Mavin Manyshaped (1985)
“Persons inside the group are ‘us.’ All significant entities outside the group, including females, are ‘them,’ and all of them are either property, prey, or opponents.”
Six Moon Dance (1998)
There is a kind of animal frenzy can be whipped up sometimes among fools and children, often using religion as an excuse for it. When it happens, it is wise to be elsewhere.
The Flight of Mavin Manyshaped (1985)
The Gardener says that mortals often pass laws they cannot enforce in order to be seen as “strong,” or “determined,” even though they know the laws will not solve the problem.
The Margarets (2007)
Those who encounter chains of events at two disparate points, without observing the connections, think they have observed coincidence when they have, in fact, seen only consequence.
Shadow's End (1994)
An intelligent woman herself, the Duchess had overestimated the Marshal’s intelligence. Not an ambitious woman, she had underestimated his ambition. So are many misread by other’s lights.
Singer from the Sea (1999)
This led me to the thought that it might be easy to pretend to be a Seer. After all, if one pretended to have visions of the far distant future, how would anyone know if they came true or not?
King's Blood Four (1983)
Don’t take me for a fool, lovely girl. We fat old things have not laid aside our brains with our silhouettes.
Shadow's End (1994)
We might be able to do something. If we were very lucky, it might even be the right thing.
Jinian Star-Eye (1986)
They see things; they overhear things; they tell us. We put two and two together to make forty-four, when we must.
Grass (1989)
If the children die, well, say they, it is the will of their gods. I do not like such ways; certainly I would not follow such gods.
The Fresco (2000)
I suspect there’s little difference between whim and inspiration at the beginning of any chain of events. It’s what happens later that tells us which is which.
The Visitor (2002)
We of Betand do not change our laws readily, so says my father, but we interpret them to our needs.
Necromancer Nine (1983)
According to Mama, nine-tenths of King Arthur was questing and the other tenth was politics.
Beauty (1991)
“Thirst makes any wine drinkable…”
“…And greed makes any crime thinkable.”
Singer from the Sea (1999)
“We are kinsmen, therefore allies. You will forgive me if I do not say ‘kinspersons.’ I learned my English in a more elegant setting, in a more elegant time.”
Marianne, the Magus, and the Manticore (1985)
“Of course, the governor says the man is mistaken.”
“Governor says he's a stupid ass,” muttered Haurvatat. “I think the man has a glitch in his software somewhere.”
Marianne, the Matchbox, and the Malachite Mouse (1989)
“We have a saying, we travelers: ‘For a man’s business, go to your troupe leader; for a woman’s business, go to Women’s Country. For a fool’s business, go to the warriors.’”
The Gate to Women's Country (1988)
I have discovered something else, Throsset of Dowes. And that is that men give women jewels when they have absolutely no idea what might please them and are not willing to take time to think about it.
The Search of Mavin Manyshaped (1985)