townspeople Quotes

“We went around to the kitchen door, and of course it wasn’t locked; the only person who locked doors around there was Mrs. Helm—the family never did.”

“If [the killer] wasn’t him, maybe it was you. Or somebody across the street. All the neighbors are rattlesnakes. Varmints looking for a chance to slam the door in your face. It’s the same the whole world over. You know that.”

“Look all over the world and you won’t find friendlier people or fresher air or sweeter drinking water.” […] “I could go to Denver at triple the salary, but I’ve got five kids and I figure there’s no better place to raise kids than right here.”

“But that’s impossible. Can you imagine Mr. Clutter missing church? Just to sleep?”

“Not only young virgins of that town, but grey-bearded men also, were often in haste to conjecture how a new acquaintance might be wrought into their purposes, contented with very vague knowledge as to the way in which life had been shaping him for their instrumentality. Middlemarch, in fact, counted on swallowing Lydgate and assimilating him very comfortably.”

“Everybody started talking at once, and everybody had a different idea, and everybody thought that his idea was the best.”

“A grown-up King on stilts, does look rather strange. But it’s hard work being King, and he does his work well. If he want to have a bit of fun... sure! ... let him have it!”

“Once upon a time, there was pretty little town named Hamelin. Though Hamelin was charming, it had two faults. Its townspeople were very stingy, and there were too many rats.”