“Wallis,' said Maturin, 'I am happy to see you. How is your penis?”
― The Fortune of War
― The Fortune of War
“It is a great while since I felt the grind of bone under my saw,' he added, smiling with anticipation.”
― Master & Commander
― Master & Commander
“Authority is a solvent of humanity: look at any husband, any father of a family, and note the absorption of the person by the persona, the individual by the role. Then multiply the family, and the authority, by some hundreds and see the effect upon a sea-captain, to say nothing of an absolute monarch. Surely man in general is born to be oppressed or solitary, if he is to be fully human; unless it so happens that he is immune to the poison.”
― H.M.S. Surprise
― H.M.S. Surprise
“Because, sir, teaching young gentlemen has a dismal effect upon the soul.It exemplifies the badness of established, artificial authority. The pedagogue has almost absolute authority over pupils: he often beats them and insensibly he loses the sense of respect due to them as fellow human beings.He does them harm, but the harm they do him is far greater. He may easily become the all-knowing tyrant, always right, always virtuous; in any event he perpetually associates with his inferiors, the king of his company; and in a surprising short time alas this brands him with the mark of Cain. Have you ever known a schoolmaster fit to associate with grown men?”
― The Ionian Mission
― The Ionian Mission
“We think there are limits to the dimensions of fear. Until we encounter the unknown. Then we can all feel boundless amounts of terror.”
― Smilla's Sense of Snow
― Smilla's Sense of Snow
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