Rumman Mahmud > Rumman's Quotes

“He read political books. They gave him phrases which he could only speak to himself and use on Shama. They also revealed one region after another of misery and injustice and left him feeling more helpless and more isolated than ever. Then it was that he discovered the solace of Dickens. Without difficulty he transferred characters and settings to people and places he knew. In the grotesques of Dickens everything he feared and suffered from was ridiculed and diminished, so that his own anger, his own contempt became unnecessary, and he was given strength to bear the most difficult part of his day: dressing in the morning, that daily affirmation of faith in oneself, which at times for him was almost like an act of sacrifice.”
― V.S. Naipaul, A House for Mr Biswas

“First we thought the PC was a calculator. Then we found out how to turn numbers into letters with ASCII — and we thought it was a typewriter. Then we discovered graphics, and we thought it was a television. With the World Wide Web, we've realized it's a brochure.”
― Douglas Adams

“Life is too short to read books that I'm not enjoying.”
― Melissa Marr

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, said Jojen. The man who never reads lives only one.”
― George R.R. Martin, A Dance with Dragons

“The liar's punishment is, not in the least that he is not believed, but that he cannot believe anyone else.”
― George Bernard Shaw, The Quintessence of Ibsenism

“You see, the point is that the strongest man in the world is he who stands most alone.”
― Henrik Ibsen, An Enemy of the People

“HELMER: But this is disgraceful. Is this the way you neglect your most sacred duties?

NORA: What do you consider is my most sacred duty?

HELMER: Do I have to tell you that? Isn't it your duty to your husband and children?

NORA: I have another duty, just as sacred.

HELMER: You can't have. What duty do you mean?

NORA: My duty to myself.”
― Henrik Ibsen, A Doll's House

“You see, there are some people that one loves, and others that perhaps one would rather be with.”
― Henrik Ibsen, A Doll's House

“I must make up my mind which is right – society or I.”
― Henrik Ibsen, A Doll's House

“You should never wear your best trousers when you go out to fight for freedom and truth.”
― Henrik Ibsen, An Enemy of the People

“Don't use that exotic word "ideals". We have a good enough native word: "lies".”
― Henrik Ibsen

“To live is to war with trolls.”
― Henrik Ibsen

“There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people.”
― Howard Zinn

“I am a cage, in search of a bird.”
― Franz Kafka

“I am free and that is why I am lost.”
― Franz Kafka

“I cannot make you understand. I cannot make anyone understand what is happening inside me. I cannot even explain it to myself.”
― Franz Kafka, The Metamorphosis

“The meaning of life is that it stops.”
― Franz Kafka

“All language is but a poor translation.”
― Franz Kafka

“নিঃসঙ্গতা

অতটুকু চায়নি বালিকা!
অত শোভা, অত স্বাধীনতা!
চেয়েছিল আরো কিছু কম,
আয়নার দাঁড়ে দেহ মেলে দিয়ে
বসে থাকা সবটা দুপুর, চেয়েছিল
মা বকুক, বাবা তার বেদনা দেখুক!
অতটুকু চায়নি বালিকা!
অত হৈ রৈ লোক, অত ভীড়, অত সমাগম!
চেয়েছিল আরো কিছু কম!
একটি জলের খনি
তাকে দিক তৃষ্ণা এখনি, চেয়েছিল
একটি পুরুষ তাকে বলুক রমণী!”
― আবুল হাসান