Salem > Salem's Quotes

“I think we ought to live happily ever after.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, Howl’s Moving Castle

“You must admit I have a right to live in a pigsty if I want.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, Howl’s Moving Castle

“Yes, you are nosy. You're a dreadfully nosy, horribly bossy, appallingly clean old woman. Control yourself. You're victimizing us all.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, Howl’s Moving Castle

“If I give you a hint and tell you it's a hint, it will be information.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, Howl’s Moving Castle

“I think we ought to live happily ever after," and she thought he meant it. Sophie knew that living happily ever after with Howl would be a good deal more hair-raising than any storybook made it sound, though she was determined to try. "It should be hair-raising," added Howl.
"And you'll exploit me," Sophie said.
"And then you'll cut up all my suits to teach me.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, Howl’s Moving Castle

“Typical! I break my neck trying to get here, and I find you peacefully tidying up!”
― Diana Wynne Jones, Howl’s Moving Castle

“I am a believer in free will. If my dog chooses to hate the whole human race except myself, it must be free to do so.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, Castle in the Air

“You've no right to walk into people's castles and take their guitars.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, Howl’s Moving Castle

“It is quite a risk to spank a wizard for getting hysterical about his hair.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, Howl’s Moving Castle

“I feel ill," [Howl] announced. "I'm going to bed, where I may die.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, Howl’s Moving Castle

“I'm delirious. Spots are crawling before my eyes."
"Those are spiders.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, Howl’s Moving Castle

“To love someone enough to let them go, you had to let them go forever or you did not love them that much.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, Fire and Hemlock

“I make that four horses and ten men just to get rid of one old woman. What did you do to the King?”
― Diana Wynne Jones, Howl’s Moving Castle

“I can't abide people who go soft over animals and then cheat every human they come across!”
― Diana Wynne Jones, Castle in the Air

“By now it was clear that Howl was in a mood to produce green slime any second. Sophie hurriedly put her sewing away. "I'll make some hot buttered toast," she said. "Is that all you can do in the face of tragedy??" Howl asked. "Make toast!”
― Diana Wynne Jones, Howl’s Moving Castle

“More about Howl? Sophie thought desperately. I have to blacken his name! Her mind was such a blank that for a second it actually seemed to her that Howl had no faults at all. How stupid! 'Well, he's fickle, careless, selfish, and hysterical,' she said. 'Half the time I think he doesn't care what happens to anyone as long as he's alright--but then I find out how awfully kind he's been to someone. Then I think he's kind just when it suits him--only then I find out he undercharges poor people. I don't know, Your Majesty. He's a mess.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, Howl’s Moving Castle

“Nobody gets praised for the right reasons.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, Castle in the Air

“She said 'Over my dead body!' so I took her at her word.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, Howl’s Moving Castle

“Look. Survey. Inspect. My hair is ruined! I look like a pan of bacon and eggs!”
― Diana Wynne Jones, Howl’s Moving Castle

“So you were going to rescue the Prince! Why did you pretend to run away? To deceive the Witch?"

"Not likely! I'm a coward. Only way I can do something this frightening is to tell myself I'm not doing it!”
― Diana Wynne Jones, Howl’s Moving Castle

“Tell me about this Wizard Howl of yours."
"He's the best wizard in Ingary or anywhere else. If he'd only had time, he would have defeated that djinn. And he's sly and selfish and vain as a peacock and cowardly, and you can't pin him down to anything."
"Indeed? Strange that you should speak so proudly such a list of vices, most loving of ladies."
"What do you mean, vices? I was just describing Howl. He comes from another world entirely, you know, called Wales, and I refuse to believe he's dead!”
― Diana Wynne Jones, Castle in the Air

“Nobody can buy a hat without gossiping.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, Howl’s Moving Castle

“She was remorseless, but she lacked method.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, Howl’s Moving Castle

“Learn to drive?"
"Never," said Quentin. "My mission in life is to be a passenger.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, Archer's Goon

“All she heard next of the strange conversation behind the sofa was Mrs. Pendragon saying something about sending Twinkle (or was his name Howl?) to bed without supper and Twinkle daring her to 'jutht TRY it.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, House of Many Ways

“Nothing is safe from you. If I were to court a girl who lived on an iceberg in the middle of the ocean, sooner or later— probably sooner— I’d look up to see you swooping overhead on a broomstick. In fact, by now I’d be disappointed in you if I didn’t see you.”
“Are you off to the iceberg today?” Sophie retorted.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, Howl’s Moving Castle

“Sophie said a bad word. In the dim light she had stubbed her toe on one of the many dusty bricks piled around the place.
Naughty-naughty" Twinkle said.
Oh shut up!" Sophie said , standing on one leg to hold her toe. "Why don't you grow up?”
― Diana Wynne Jones, House of Many Ways

“Christopher discovered that you dealt with obnoxious masters and most older boys the way you dealt with governesses: you quite politely told them the truth in the way they wanted to hear it, so that they thought they had won and left you in peace.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, The Lives of Christopher Chant

“Look at this!" he shouted "look at it! what has that one-woman force of chaos done to these spells?"
Sophie and Michael whirled round and looked at Howl. His hair was wet, but, apart from that, neither of them could see that it looked any different.
"If you mean me-" Sophie began.
"I do mean you! Look!" Howl shrieked. He sat down with a thump on the three-legged stool and jabbed at his wet head with his fingers. "Look. Survey. Inspect. My hair is ruined! I look like a pan of bacon and eggs!"
Michael and Sophie bent nervously over Howl's head. it seemed the usual flaxen color right down to the roots. The only difference might have been a slight, very slight, trace of red. Sophie found that agreeable. It reminded her a little of the color her own hair should have been.
"I think it's nice," she said.
"Nice!" screamed Howl. "You would! You did it on purpose. You couldn't rest until you made me miserable too. Look at it! It's ginger! I shall have to hide until it's grown out!" He spread his arms out passionately. "Dispair!" he yelled. "Anguish! Horror!”
― Diana Wynne Jones, Howl’s Moving Castle

“Interesting things did seem to happen, but always to somebody else.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, Howl’s Moving Castle