John Steinbeck Quotes - Page 27

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• It occurs to me that just as the Carthaginians hired mercenaries to do their fighting for them, we Americans being in mercenaries to do our hard and humble work. I hope we may not be overwhelmed one day by peoples not too proud or too lazy or too soft to bend to the earth and pick up the things we eat.

  John Steinbeck

  Humble, Fighting, Lazy

  John Steinbeck (2007). “Travels with Charley and Later Novels, 1947-1962”

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• It is a nice thing to be working and believing in my work again. I hope I can keep the drive. I only feel whole and well when it is this way.

  John Steinbeck

  Nice, Believe, Way

  John Steinbeck (2006). “The Grapes of Wrath”, p.34, Penguin

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• For many years we have suckled on fear and fear alone, and there is no good product of fear.

  John Steinbeck

  Years, Products

  John Steinbeck (2007). “Once There Was a War”, p.9, Penguin

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• I have no interest in the printed word. I would continue to write if there were no writing and no print. I put my words down for a matter of memory. They are more made to be spoken than to be read.

  John Steinbeck

  Memories, Writing, Printed Word

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• There is one sure thing about the fall of gods: they do not fall a little; they crash and shatter.

  John Steinbeck

  Fall, Eden, Littles

  John Steinbeck (2002). “East of Eden”, p.21, Penguin

  6 Copy quote

• For the first time I am working on a book that is not limited and that will take every bit of experience and thought and feeling that I have.

  John Steinbeck

  Book, Feelings, Firsts

  John Steinbeck (1990). “Working Days: The Journals of The Grapes of Wrath”, p.26, Penguin

  4 Copy quote

• He said, "I am a man," and that meant certain things to Juana. It meant that he was half insane and half god.

  John Steinbeck

  Life, Men, Insane

  John Steinbeck (1993). “The Pearl”, p.61, Penguin

  4 Copy quote

• One of the laws of paleontology is that an animal which must protect itself with thick armour is degenerate. It is usually a sign that the species is on the road to extinction.

  John Steinbeck

  Animal, Law, Paleontology

  4 Copy quote

• ...Samuel rode lightly on top of a book and he balanced happily among ideas the way a man rides white rapids in a canoe. But Tom got into a book, crawled and groveled between the covers, tunneled like a mole among the thoughts, and came up with the book all over his face and hands.

  John Steinbeck

  Book, Men, Hands

  John Steinbeck (2002). “East of Eden”, p.247, Penguin

  4 Copy quote

• Doc still loved true things but he knew that it was not a general love and it could be a very dangerous mistress.

  John Steinbeck

  Mistress, Dangerous, Stills

  John Steinbeck (1953). “The Short Novels of John Steinbeck”, New York : Viking Press

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• Says he foun' he jus' got a little piece of a great big soul. Says a wilderness ain't no good, 'cause his little piece of a soul wasn't no good 'less it was with the rest, an' was whole.

  John Steinbeck

  Wrath, Soul, Pieces

  John Steinbeck (2016). “The Grapes of Wrath”, p.338, Hamilton Books

  6 Copy quote

• There is no term comparable to green thumbs to apply to such a mechanic, but there should be. For there are men who can look, listen, tap, make an adjustment, and a machine works.

  John Steinbeck

  Men, Looks, Machines

  John Steinbeck (1993). “Cannery Row”, p.35, Penguin

  7 Copy quote

• I have starved and it isn't nearly as bad as is generally supposed. Four days and a half was my longest stretch. Maybe there are pains that come later. Personally I think terror is the painful part of starvation.

  John Steinbeck

  Pain, Thinking, Half

  4 Copy quote

• We gather our arms full of guilt as though it were precious stuff. It must be that we want it that way.

  John Steinbeck

  Guilt, Want, Arms

  John Steinbeck (2002). “East of Eden”, p.235, Penguin

  4 Copy quote

• (Suicide) takes some doing, with maybe pain and maybe hell.

  John Steinbeck

  Suicide, Pain, Hell

  John Steinbeck (2002). “East of Eden”, p.359, Penguin

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• ... every little boy thinks he invented sin.

  John Steinbeck

  Boys, Thinking, Littles

  John Steinbeck (2002). “East of Eden”, p.235, Penguin

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• Lennie said quietly, "It ain't no lie. We're gonna do it. Gonna get a little place an' live on the fatta the lan'.

  John Steinbeck

  Lying, Littles, Lennie

  John Steinbeck (1994). “Of Mice and Men”, p.55, Penguin

  4 Copy quote

• Strength and success - they are above morality, above criticism. It seems, then, that it is not what you do, but how you do it and what you call it. Is there a check in men, deep in them, that stops or punishes? There doesn't seem to be. The only punishment is for failure. In effect no crime is committed unless a criminal is caught.

  John Steinbeck

  Inspirational, Men, Criticism

  John Steinbeck (2008). “The Winter of Our Discontent”, p.175, Penguin

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• Eventlessness has no posts to drape duration on. From nothing to nothing is no time at all.

  John Steinbeck

  Duration, Drapes, Posts

  John Steinbeck (2002). “East of Eden”, p.51, Penguin

  4 Copy quote

• I seen it over an' over—a guy talkin' to another guy and it don't make no difference if he don't hear or understand. The thing is, they're talkin', or they're settin' still not talkin'. It don't make no difference, no difference. [...] George can tell you screwy things, and it don't matter. It's just the talking. It's just bein' with another guy. That's all.

  John Steinbeck

  Talking, Differences, Guy

  John Steinbeck (1953). “The Short Novels of John Steinbeck”, New York : Viking Press

  4 Copy quote

• The people in flight from the terror behind-strange things happen to them, some bitterly cruel and some so beautiful that the faith is refired forever.

  John Steinbeck

  Beautiful, People, Forever

  John Steinbeck (2016). “The Grapes of Wrath”, p.96, Hamilton Books

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• Lennie begged, "Le's do it now. Le's get that place now." "Sure right now. I gotta. We gotta.

  John Steinbeck

  Lennie, Right Now

  John Steinbeck (2016). “Of Mice and Men”, p.50, Hamilton Books

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• When you collect marine animals there are certain flat worms so delicate that they are almost impossible to capture whole, for they break and tatter under the touch. You must let them ooze and crawl of their own will onto a knife blade and then lift them gently into your bottle of sea water. And perhaps that might be the way to write this book — to open the page and let the stories crawl in by themselves.

  John Steinbeck

  Book, Writing, Marine

  "Cannery Row".

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• I have seen too many men go down, and I never permit myself to forget that one day, through accident or under the charge of a younger, stronger knight, I too will go down.

  John Steinbeck

  Men, Knights, One Day

  John Steinbeck (2008). “The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights: (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)”, p.125, Penguin

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• Niagara Falls is very nice. I'm very glad I saw it, because from now on if I am asked whether I have seen Niagara Falls I can say yes, and be telling the truth for once.

  John Steinbeck

  Travel, Nice, Fall

  John Steinbeck (1980). “Travels with Charley in Search of America”, p.51, Penguin

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