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A great deal of her obscurity and cant, Tenar had begun to realize, was mere ineptness with words and ideas. Nobody had ever taught her to think consecutively. Nobody had ever listened to what she said. All that was expected, all that was wanted of her was muddle, mystery, mumbling. She was a witchwoman. She had nothing to do with clear meaning.

— Ursula K. Le Guin Tehanu (1990)

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More quotes by Ursula K. Le Guin

When true myth rises into consciousness, that is always its message. You must change your life.

Myth and Archetype in Science Fiction (1976)

The end justifies the means. But what if there never is an end? All we have is means.

The Lathe of Heaven (1971)

Great artists make the roads; good teachers and good companions can point them out. But there ain't no free rides, baby.

The Language of the Night (1979)

A profound love between two people involves, after all, the power and chance of doing profound hurt.

The Left Hand of Darkness (1969)

When action grows unprofitable, gather information; when information grows unprofitable, sleep.

The Left Hand of Darkness (1969)

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Ursula K. Le Guin (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.