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'Every man should have a wife,' declared the rector firmly. 'A single clergyman is the prey of every spinster in the parish. He should marry for safety, if for no other reason.'

— Barbara Pym

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More quotes by Barbara Pym

Those quotations were really quite obscure. Anyone can see that he is a very well-read man.

Crampton Hodnet (1940)

Near them stood a thin woman with purple hair and a surprised expression, as if she had not expected that it would turn out to be quite that colour.

A Glass of Blessings (1958)

'What do women do if they don't marry,' she mused, as if she had no idea what it could be, having been married once herself and about to marry again.

Excellent Women (1952)

'One hears that so many husbands coming back from the war find that their civilian clothes have been devoured by moth,' said Winifred seriously. 'That must be a dreadful shock.'

Excellent Women (1952)

The new curate seemed quite a nice young man, but what a pity it was that his combinations showed, tucked carelessly into his socks, when he sat down.

Some Tame Gazelle (1950)

All Barbara Pym quotes →

Attribution

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