A Long Way from Verona Quotes

“I ought to tell you at the beginning that I am not quite normal, having had a violent experience at the age of nine. I will make this clear at once because I have noticed that if things seep out slowly through a book the reader is apt to feel let down or tricked in some way when he eventually gets the point.”

“When the war is over, Hitler will be dead, He hopes to go to Heaven with a halo on his head, But the Lord said no, You’ll have to go below, There’s only room for Churchill, So cheery-cheery oh!”

“I’m going to give you a very good rule that was given to me a college and I have always been abundantly grateful for it. When you have written something that you think is really good, destroy it. Destroy it.”

“She has narrow hands and a narrow face, Helen Bell. She is good at playing the piano. On the whole I don’t like people who are always playing the piano. They have mean little mouths.”

“It isn’t my stomach. It’s my essay. It’s a good essay. I know it’s a good essay. She said it was awful and I was too pleased with myself. She said it was a lie. I called her a fool.”

“If there is anyone here this afternoon whom I have convinced that books are meant to be enjoyed, that English is nothing to do with duty, that it has nothing to do with school- with exercises and homework and ticks and crosses- then I am a happy man.”

″‘Mr. Hanger,’ she said, ‘we feel that you are one of our very oldest friends.’ Everyone clapped like mad and biffed everyone else’s knee and pushed at everyone else’s elbow and snuffled, though keeping straight faces because of course NOBODY had ever heard of the man before except I suppose the Headmistress.”

“English is what matters. ENGLISH IS LIFE.”

“Jessica Vye you are a writer beyond all possible doubt!”

“1. I am not quite normal 2. I am not very popular 3. I am able to tell what people are thinking. And I might add 4. I am terribly bad at keeping quiet when I have something on my mind because 5. I ABSOLUTELY ALWAYS AND INVARIABLY TELL THE TRUTH.”