Maughaum.

I have always loved Somerset Maughaum;s books - his writing is intelligent, compassionate, thought provoking, and has a strong narrative, peppered with humor.
Have just finished another one - the merry go around. While it is not so well written, it has its share of insightful, interesting quotes...

(describing a character)
"his deliberate placidity of expression masked a very emotional temperament. In this he recognised a weakness......He kept over himself unceasing watch, as though a dangerous prisoner were in his heart ever on the alert to break his chains. He felt himself the slave of a vivid imagination, and realised it stood against the enjoyment of life which is his philosophy told him was the only end of existence. Yet his passions were of the mind rather than of the body, and his spirit urged his flesh constantly to courses wherein it found nothing but disillusion."

(honest feedback/advice being given)
" Nowadays self sacrifice is a luxury which few have the strength to deny themselves ; people took to it when they left off sugar because it was fattening, and sacrifice themselves wantonly, however worthless the object. In fact, the object scarcely concerns them, they dont care how much harm they cause it as long as they can justify their own selfishness and cowardice".

(gentle conversation)
"People never realise that they have only one life, and mistakes are irreparable. They play with it as though it were a game of chess in which they could try this move and that, and when they get into a muddle, sweep the board clear and begin again.
But life is a game of chess in which one is always beaten. Death sits on the other side of the board, anf for every move he has a counter move"

(conversation on god and after life, bwn an atheist and a realist)
" A :How can a man lead his life uniformly if he is disturbed by the thought of another life to come?God is a force throwing man;s centre of gravity out of his own body
B : Man is a chess player with his definite number of pieces. With these rules, the wise man plays - not to win, for that is impossible, but to make a good fight for it. And if he is wise he will never forget that it is but a game, and therefore not to be taken too seriously.

(conv on truth)
"I think the most valuable thing I have learnt in my life is that there is so much to say on both sides of every question that there is little to choose between them. After all, how can i tell whether Truth has one shape or many?....My art and science is to live."

(stern advice to someone who;s confessions wl make someone else miserable)
"There are three good maxims in the conduct of life " never sin; but if u sin, never repent; and above all, if u repent, never, never confess"

(conv on death, bwn an atheist and a realist)
"After all, even if beliefs of men are childish and untrue, isnt it better to keep them? Surely superstition is a small price to pay for that wonderful support at the last hour, when all else fades to insignificance?
Most of us would give our very souls to believe. Of course we need it, and sometimes need it so intensely that we can hardly help praying to a God we know is not there"

(ref 2nd quote, the character went on with his self sacrifice and ended up causing death n misery)
"In this world we are made to act and think things because others have thought them good. For god's sake, let us be free. Let us do this and that because we want to and we must, not because other people think we ought.....Its because I tried to do my duty that all this misery came about. The world held up an ideal, and I thought they meant one to act up to it; it never occured to me that they would only sneer"

(dinner table conv)
"A common mistake with writers is to make their characters in moments of great emotion express themselves with good taste.....The utterance of violent passion is never artistic, but trite, ridiculous, vulgar and often silly"

(conv bwn 2 best friends)
" I have observed that whenever you're out of humour with yourself, you insult me"