I am at a loss to understand why people hold Miss Austen's novels at so high a rate, which seem to me vulgar in tone, sterile in artistic invention, imprisoned in their wretched conventions of English society, without genius, wit, or knowledge of the...
Of John Le Carre's books, I've only read 'The Spy Who Came In From The Cold,' and I haven't read anything by Graham Greene, but I've heard a great deal about how 'Your Republic Is Calling You' reminded English readers of those two writers. I don't re...
A few months ago, I was sitting morosely at my desk, wondering why I had ever agreed to review for an English newspaper. The experience was proving to be a degradation of the act of reading. Imagine, if you will, being strapped into a chair and made ...
A hand stole around her mouth, silencing her, then his lips parting her tumbled hair: “The walls have ears.” She blinked, and for the first time, looked around. A thin beam of light beneath what may have been a door. That was all. When he release...
Therefore, she hummed the provincial lullaby she had learned from the officers’ children in the English Quarter of Jerusalem, and watched in fascination while the savage radical’s eyes misted over with tears. For an instant, the prison bars melte...
Grace has to be the loveliest word in the English language. It embodies almost every attractive quality we hope to find in others. Grace is a gift of the humble to the humiliated. Grace acknowledges the ugliness of sin by choosing to see beyond it. G...
Reading with an eye towards metaphor allows us to become the person we’re reading about, while reading about them. That’s why there is symbols in books and why your English teacher deserves your attention. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter if the a...
Ninety-nine per cent of traditional English literature concerns people who never have to worry about money at all. We always seem to be watching or reading about emotional crises among folk who live in a world of great fortune both in matters of luck...
J. Algernon Hawthorne: Jolly nasty accident there. Jolly lucky nobody was hurt. Mrs. Marcus: Where did you get that funny accent? Are you from Harvard or something? J. Algernon Hawthorne: Harvard? Rather not. I'm English. Mrs. Marcus: Sounds so forei...
Assistant Coach: Hey ladies, are you gonna be ready to play football this fall? huh? Benny O'Donnell: I don't know coach, I've been doin' so well in english I thought I might work on bein' a writer. What do ya think about that? Assistant Coach: Boy, ...
[to a wounded boy, handing him a handkerchief stained with his blood] Mary of Guise: Go back to England, and take this to your Queen. Hm? Mary of Guise: [in French, to herself] English blood on French colors. [turns to her officer] Mary of Guise: Sen...
Lord Robert: Monsignor Alvaro! Monsignor Alvaro! Monsignor Alvaro, tell me. As well as ambassador, are you not also a bishop? De la Quadra: I am, my lord. Lord Robert: [referring to himself and Elizabeth] Then you can marry us! De la Quadra: Marry *y...
Mr. Fox: [Mr. Fox, Ash, Kris, and Kylie are on a motorcycle, and Mr. Fox refers to a quadruped wolf at the edge of a snowy forest] I don't think he speaks English or Latin. Mr. Fox: [loudly, to the wolf] Pensez-vous que l'hiver sera rude? Mr. Fox: [a...
Cora Munro: Justice? If that's justice than the sooner French guns blow the English out of America the better it will be for the people here! Colonel Munro: You do not know what you're saying, girl! Cora Munro: Yes I do, I know exactly what what I'm ...
King Arthur: Can we come up and have a look? French Soldier: Of course not. You're English types. King Arthur: What are you then? French Soldier: I'm French. Why do you think I have this outrageous accent, you silly king? Sir Galahad: What are you do...
John T. Chance: Got any new men with you, Pat? Pat Wheeler: Nah, nobody 'cept Colorado, here. John T. Chance: Where'd you take him on? Pat Wheeler: Fort Worth John T. Chance: What does he do? Colorado Ryan: I speak English, sheriff. If you wanna ask ...
English Bob: A plague on you. A plague on the whole stinking lot of ya, without morals or laws. And all you whores got no laws. You got no honor. It's no wonder you all emigrated to America, because they wouldn't have you in England. You're a lot of ...
Ray: What am I gonna do, Ken? What am I gonna do? Ken: Just keep movin'. Keep on movin'. Try not to think about it. Learn a new language, maybe? Ray: Sure. I can hardly do English. [pause] Ray: That's one thing I like about Europe, though. You don't ...
Assistant VP Gary Trueman: You've helped this office out before. Brendan Frye: No, I gave you Jerr to see him eaten, not to see you fed. Assistant VP Gary Trueman: Fine. And very well put. Brendan Frye: Accelerated English, Mrs. Kasprzyk. Assistant V...
I often say never write about white people. Not many people realize what I mean by this. Its pretty simple. Some may think its unrealistic to have an ethnically diverse cast but its ten times more unrealistic to see a cast of only white people. Like ...
Oof!" Adam caught me all right, with the side of his head. I could tell by the feel of his skull on my foot as I kicked him. He grabbed me the best he could anyway, and we half landed, half fell in the pine needles. He lay facedown on the ground. I f...
