I had a notebook where I wrote down quotes, mainly from books, that I really liked. Unfortunately I seem to have lost it somewhere when I moved a year and a half ago. I sort of stopped using it before that anyway; instead I started keeping track of quotes I liked in a Google Doc.
When I started thinking about this prompt, I realized that I haven’t come across a quote from a book that’s spoken to me in a long time. The most recent one I can think of is from Roger Zelazny’s Lord of Light, which I read almost a year ago:
“Those two? We are not that different. We are not that changed. Though ages slip away, there are some things within one’s being which do not change, which do not alter, no matter how many bodies one puts upon oneself, no matter how many lovers one takes, no matter how many things of beauty and ugliness one looks upon or does, no matter how many thoughts one thinks or feelings one feels. One’s self stands at the centre of all this and watches.” -Kali, pg 178
Here, Kali was speaking to Sam (aka Mahasamatman). She is trying to convince him to join with her once again. In ages past, they were a couple and a team. But over time (and we’re talking a great long passage of time in this book with these people), they drifted apart to the point that they are basically on opposing sides of the coming conflict. Kali was speaking to Sam in an effort to remind him of who he was; she did not believe that he was fundamentally different now from who he was in the past.
Part of the reason that this quote spoke to me so much is that it has, in my opinion, so much story potential. I found it last year when I was trying to reinvigorate Apocalypse Madness. But even if I wasn’t looking for stuff for Apocalypse Madness, I still think this quote has amazing story potential. It makes me think of stories that speak to reincarnation (like Cloud Atlas). Or stories that deal with gods and other supernatural or immortal forces. But it also speaks to everyday people trying to convince a lost love that they still need to be together. If you’re interested, here’s the story I wrote for this quote, which speaks a bit more to that latter idea.
So what are your favourite quotes from books? What sorts of quotes speak to you?
This Tuesday’s Talk topic came from the Tuesday Talks Goodreads group.
An Acquaintance with Letters 