Paul Zindel > Quotes

“Our life would be what we made of it--nothing more, nothing less.”
― Paul Zindel, The Pigman

“She thinks she knows everything that goes on inside me, and she doesn’t know a thing. What did she want from me – to tell the truth all the time? To run around saying it did matter to me that I live in a world where you can grow old and be alone and have to get down on your hands and knees and beg for friends? A place where people just sort of forget about you because you get a little old and your mind’s a bit senile or silly? Did she think that didn’t bother me underneath?”
― Paul Zindel, The Pigman

“There was no one else to blame anymore. No Bores or Old Ladies or Nortons, or Assassins waiting at the bridge. And there was no place to hide-no place across any river for a boatman to take us.
Our life would be what we made of it-nothing more, nothing less.
Baboons.
Baboons.
They build their own cages, we could almost hear the Pigman whisper, as he took his children with him.”
― Paul Zindel, The Pigman

“Watch the little things in life, the ones you have control over. Keep your eyes glued to the peas and every speck of dust on the floor.”
― Paul Zindel, The Pigman

“Be yourself! Be individualistic!' he called out after me. 'But for God's sake get your hair cut. You look like an oddball.”
― Paul Zindel, The Pigman

“It's kind of spooky when you are caught talking to God everybody thinks you're nuts. They used to call you a prophet.”
― Paul Zindel, The Pigman

“I really hate it when a teacher has to show that she isn't behind the times by using some expression which sounds so up-to-date you know for sure she's behind the times.”
― Paul Zindel, The Pigman

“For Sale: Complete set of encylopedias. Never used. Wife knows everything.”
― Paul Zindel, The Pigman

“In fact, the thing Lorraine and I liked best about the Pigman was that he didn't go around saying we were cards or jazzy or cool or hip. He said we were delightful . . .”
― Paul Zindel

“They ought to bury people in hospitals and let sick people get well in the cemeteries.”
― Paul Zindel, The Pigman

“And the day your childhood dies is probably the first day you really know what guilt is.”
― Paul Zindel, The Pigman's Legacy

“When are you getting married?'

'After graduation, stupid.”
― Paul Zindel, My Darling, My Hamburger

“A child's parents should be able to forbid their son or daughter from reading a book of mine or anyone else's. However, those same parents should have zero control over what everyone else's kids can read.”
― Paul Zindel, Places I Never Meant to Be: Original Stories by Censored Writers

“If you leave me, I'll want to die. Love, Elizabeth Carstensen.”
― Paul Zindel, My Darling, My Hamburger

“There's no one else to blame. No Bores or Old Ladies or Norton or Assassins waiting at the bridge.”
― Paul Zindel

“Dennis had just kissed her once, and she was screaming for a hamburger.”
― Paul Zindel, My Darling, My Hamburger

“The mustard lined his lips. At one point a strand of sauerkraut was smeared against his chin.”
― Paul Zindel, My Darling, My Hamburger

“The speeches! They were filled with borrowed things--borrowed over and over again until the words were nothing more than a series of clichés.”
― Paul Zindel, My Darling, My Hamburger

“I find everything demoralizing,' Dennis said.”
― Paul Zindel, My Darling, My Hamburger

“He was practically pushing the hot dogs down his throat.”
― Paul Zindel, My Darling, My Hamburger

“This sex thing. We never used to be hung up like this. Nature doesn't give little kids problems except when there's some kind of an accident--like that eight-year-old South American girl that had a baby. But that's practically a mutation, right?”
― Paul Zindel, My Darling, My Hamburger

“Once inside, Dennis almost keeled over from the smell of cooked cabbage. Why was it that any girl he took out had a house with an incredible smell?”
― Paul Zindel, My Darling, My Hamburger

“But now Nature starts doing things. The hormones start rolling and those old testicles start producing and all the rest of it--like breathing. You don't go around asking for it. It happens. It happened to me when I was twelve.

(Sean)”
― Paul Zindel, My Darling, My Hamburger

“The one big difference between John and me, besides the fact that he’s a boy and I’m a girl, is I have compassion.”
― Paul Zindel, The Pigman

“Zelda is worried about the regular death that happens when you grow too old. -Henry”
― Paul Zindel, A Begonia for Miss Applebaum

“Her breathing was shallow. Gasping. 'There are rats in my toilet.”
― Paul Zindel, Rats

“I think that’s probably the real reason I go to the graveyard. I’m not afraid of seeing ghosts. I think I’m really looking for ghosts. I want to see them. I’m looking for anything to prove that when I drop dead there’s a chance I’ll be doing something a little more exciting than decaying.”
― Paul Zindel, The Pigman

“It's not a big deal. Every can of tuna fish in the supermarket has rat hairs and vermin bone fragments in it. Cockroach legs. Pieces of spiders. you got everything in there. Just like hot dogs.”
― Paul Zindel, Rats

“There was level upon level of irregular compartments and tunneling, as if someone had taken an ax and chopped away the front of a massive hive of termites or bees. But instead of insects, hundreds- thousands!- of rats shimmered and moved like ghastly images in an intricated tapestry. The megalopolis of rodents appeared suspended in shock for a moment, then began to fracture and drop.”
― Paul Zindel, Rats

“Dad," Stephen said.
"What, son?"
"Remember when we used to walk along the beaches—when you would buy all those shells for me to find?"
His father smiled. "I remember."
"Well, I was thinking about that beach we went to, the one where there were thousands of starfish that were stranded at low tide. Starfish dying as far as we could see. Seagulls snatching them up, dropping them on the rocks, and eating them. Remember all the starfish in that hot sun?"
"Sure," his father said. "You insisted on taking one of them and throwing it back into the water."
"I remember you telling me that it didn't make any difference," Stephen said.
"Did I say that?"
"Yes."
"I don't remember."
"I do," Stephen said. "Well, I've been thinking about it."
"About that starfish?"
"Yeah. I was thinking that it did make a difference. At least to that one starfish."
His father said nothing for a while. "Maybe you're right... I hope so," he said finally, and put his arm around Stephen's shoulder.”
― Paul Zindel, The Gadget