Raymond Queneau Quotes

“We are introduce to the precocious gamine Zazie (about eleven and a mother’s nightmare), up from the provinces for the first time; to her uncle Gabriel who dresses up in a tutu and ballet shoes to dance in a night club with a difference.”

“He resized the suitcase with one hand and dragged Zazie along with the other. Charles was in fact waiting for them, reading the bleeding hearts column for a weekly mag.”

“How canaystinksotho, wondered Gabriel, exasperated. T’s incredible, they never clean themselves. It says in the paper that not eleven percent of the flats in Paris have bathrooms, doesn’t surprise me, but you can wash without.”

“All she really wants to do is ride the metro, but finding it shut because of a strike, Zazie looks for other means of amusement.”

“Impish, foul-mouthed Zazie arrives in Paris from the country to stay with Gabriel, her female-impersonator uncle.”

“If I understand you aright, dearie, you imagine that your natural perfume is sweeter than the roses. Well, your are wrong, dearie, you’re wrong.”

“The little chap began to get apprehensive. Now was his time, now was the moment to forge some sort of verbal buckler. The first that came into his head was an alexandrine: ‘And anyway who said that you could call me tu?”

“Marceline accompanied her to her room, and Gabriel went to fetch a handsome pigskin manicure set which had his initials stamped on it.”

“Here we are,′ says Gabriel. Zazie scrutinises the house. She doesn’t communicate her impressions. ‘Well?’ asked Gabriel. ‘Will it do?’ Zazie made a sign which seemed to indicated that she was reserving her judgment.”

“Turandot served him in meditative silence. Charles knocked back his beaujolais, wiped his moustaches with the back of his hand, and then looked absent-mindedly in the direction of the outside world.”