Kenneth Oppel > Quotes

“Marry me." I said.
She lowered her teacup, shaking slightly, to the saucer. "Aren't you going to get down on one knee?"
I got down on one knee and took her hand.
"Will you marry me, Kate?"
You can't propose properly without a ring." She said.
I reached into my pocket and took out James Sanderson's ring, which I'd picked up off the floor of the Starclimber when we'd crash landed.
"That's a nice looking ring." said Kate with a grin.
"Cost a fortune." I said. "And now, for the third time. Kate de Vries, will you marry me?"
She leaned forward and took my face in her hands and kissed me.
"Yes," "Yes, and yes and yes. But it will probably be terrible."
"Probably," I agreed.
"Honestly," she sighed, "I don't know what kind of life we'll have together, with me always flying off in one direction and you in the other."
I smiled. "It's a good thing the world's round," I said.”
― Kenneth Oppel, Starclimber

“But chance runs like a river through all our lives, and being prepared for surprise is the best we can do.”
― Kenneth Oppel, Skybreaker

“It's the way you look whenever she mentions her fiance. My cat looks like that before he hacks up a hairball.”
― Kenneth Oppel, Starclimber

“There is a passion in you that scares me.”
― Kenneth Oppel, This Dark Endeavor

“If my heart were a compass, you'd be North.”
― Kenneth Oppel, Skybreaker

“Why do you need to fly so much?” she asked.
“If I don’t, it’ll catch up with me.” The words just came out.
“What will?”
I took my hands from my face, panting. I stared out at the storm.
“Unhappiness.”
― Kenneth Oppel, Airborn

“You can't eat [literature], that's the problem," he said. "I've tried, it's very dry, and not at all nutritious.”
― Kenneth Oppel

“The preface? Why would he waste time with the preface? Skip the preface and move on to the meat of the thing!”
― Kenneth Oppel, This Dark Endeavor

“You two were in a cave together?’ said Miss Simpkins in horror.
‘Yes,’ said Kate, ‘and it was very, very dark.”
― Kenneth Oppel, Airborn

“Honestly," she sighed, "I don't know what kind of life we'll have together, with me always flying off in one direction and you in the other."
I smiled. "It's a good thing the world's round," I said.”
― Kenneth Oppel

“I poo poo the chit.'
The attendant looked stunned. 'You cannot poo-poo the chit!'
I do.' Kate said solemnly. 'I do poo-poo.'
We'll walk.”
― Kenneth Oppel , Starclimber

“I believe there is something on this earth that you desire more than anything, and it isn't me.”
― Kenneth Oppel, Such Wicked Intent

“The baby was warm against my chest. I knew I was broken too. I wasn't like other people. I was scared and weird and anxious and sad lots of the time, and I didn't know why. My parents thought I was abnormal, I was pretty sure. They said I wasn't, but you don't get sent to a therapist if you're normal.

Sometimes we really aren't supposed to be the way we are. It's not good for us. And people don't like it. You've got to change. You've got to try harder and do deep breathing and maybe one day take pills and learn tricks so you can pretend to be more like other people. Normal people. But maybe Vanessa was right, and all those other people were broken too in their own ways. Maybe we all spent too much time pretending we weren't.”
― Kenneth Oppel, The Nest

“IMBECILE!" the chef shouted. "Next time why don't you just put your whole HAND in the food, hey? Yes, your whole hand, or maybe your FACE! I arrange the food on plates with care, are you understanding what I am telling you? It is part of the art form of cooking, yes? A lovely plate of food is a thing of beauty! And then you, NUMBSKULL, come along and put your fat greasy FINGERS all over my plate, and SHAKE the plate, and move my food all around the plate until it looks like pigs' vomit!"
"Chef Vlad!" I cried out in delight.”
― Kenneth Oppel, Skybreaker

“Bloody Hell!”
― Kenneth Oppel, Airborn

“It was as though, in one moment, he had become a stranger. And I a stranger to myself.”
― Kenneth Oppel, This Dark Endeavor

“You see, when medicine works, it is blessed science, and when it fails, it is witchcraft. - Polidori”
― Kenneth Oppel, This Dark Endeavor

“I know you pretty well."
"Better than anyone I think."
I smiled. Her compliment was like a gift itself, only more precious than anything that could be bought.”
― Kenneth Oppel, Starclimber

“I prefer the word aviatrix. It has more zing to it."
"It's very zingy," I agreed.”
― Kenneth Oppel, Skybreaker

“You've no fear of heights," puffed the girl.
"None," I said.
"I've heard that about you.”
― Kenneth Oppel, Skybreaker

“You're like something drawn with the sun's fire, and I can take only little glimpses of you.”
― Kenneth Oppel, Such Wicked Intent

“If you were closer, I'd slap you," she said.

"Let me help," I replied, and stepped closer.

She promptly slapped me, which surprised me only a little.

We glared at each other in the near dark, and then she looked away.

"I'm sorry I slapped you," she said.

"That's all right. I quite enjoyed it.”
― Kenneth Oppel, Such Wicked Intent

“Let me get you all some punch,” I said.
“You're leaving us?” said Isabel, sounding panicky.
“I'll be right back,” I promised. “If anyone comes near you, just scream and run.”
― Kenneth Oppel, Starclimber

“You flatter me shamelessly. I like it. Good.”
― Kenneth Oppel, Skybreaker

“Individuality: ten. Cautiousness: three. Combativeness: nine." She looked over and gave me a wink. "Well, what did you expect from a pirate's daughter? Hope: eight. Amativeness. What's that?"

Kate acutally blushed. "I think it has something to do with your attractiveness to the opposite sex."

"Ten," said Nadira, smiling modestly.

(Skybreaker by Kenneth Oppel)”
― Kenneth Oppel

“Yes' is a very powerful word. It's like opening a door. It's like fanning a flame. It's the most powerful word in the world.”
― Kenneth Oppel, The Nest

“I raised my hands, trying to shush her.
"Don't shush me," she said, eyes blazing. "I hate being shushed.”
― Kenneth Oppel, Skybreaker

“This way," she said, veering toward the roof's edge. "Can you jump?"
"Oh, I can jump!"
"Then jump!”
― Kenneth Oppel, Skybreaker

“The sky pulsed with stars. Some people say it makes them lonesome when they stare up at the night sky. I can't imagine why. There's no shortage of company. By now there's not a constellation I can't name. Orion. Lupus. Serpens. Hercules. Draco. My father taught me all of their stories. So when I look up I see a galaxy of adventures and heroes and villains, all jostling together and trying to outdo one another, and I sometimes want to tell them to hush up and not distract me with their chatter. I've glimpsed all the stars ever discovered by astronomers, and plenty that haven't been.”
― Kenneth Oppel, Airborn

“His speech failed to rouse an enthusiastic cheer, but no one dared contradict him.”
― Kenneth Oppel