Quotes from David Eddings

I can read Middle English stories, Geoffrey Chaucer or Sir Thomas Malory, but once I start moving in the direction of contemporary fantasy, my mind begins to take over.

Now's the time to be alive - to see it all happen, to be a part of it. That makes the blood race, and each breath is an adventure.

Vanity's ridiculous, but we all fall prey to it from time to time.

As soon as somebody falls in love, all the wits seem to dribble out of the bottom of his head.

Events are like horses. Sometimes they run away. After they've run for a while, though, they'll start to walk again. Then there'll be a time to put everything together.

Call it my little gesture toward social conscience, but I like to think I'm teaching a certain number of people to read. Now that sounds pretentious!

I wrote a novel for my degree, and I'm very happy I didn't submit that to a publisher. I sympathize with my professors who had to read it.

It's only a story, isn't it?"... "Who's to say what's only a story and what's truth disguised as a story?

All social workers want is to get everyone involved in a programme. Because a programme provides full employment for three generations of social workers. And they mess up.

I have a slightly bad back, which has made an enormous contribution to American literature.

When ignorance is bliss, there's folly in wisdom.

I have an unconscious burglar living in my mind: If I read something, it's mine.

I have an unconscious burglar living in my mind: If I read something, it's mine. I can read Middle English stories, Geoffrey Chaucer or Sir Thomas Malory, but once I start moving in the direction of contemporary fantasy, my mind begins to take over.

Who owns a man, Durnik?" the blond young man asked sadly. "The one who rules him, or the one who pays him?

Women are almost always angry with men for one reason or another. It's one of things you'll have to get used to, as you get older.

The unfortunate thing about working for yourself is that you have the worst boss in the world. I work every day of the year except at Christmas, when I work a half day.

I get up at an unholy hour in the morning my work day is completed by the time the sun rises. I have a slightly bad back which has made an enormous contribution to American literature.

Don't be afraid to discard work you know isn't up to standard. Don't save junk, just because it took you a long time to write it.

Start early and work hard. A writer's apprenticeship usually involves writing a million words (which are then discarded) before he's almost ready to begin. That takes a while.

One of the less attractive aspects of human nature is our tendency to hate the people we haven't treated very well; it's much easier than accepting guilt. If we can convince ourselves that the people we betrayed or enslaved were subhuman monsters in the first place, then our guilt isn't nearly so black as we secretly know that it is. Humans are very, very good at shifting blame and avoiding guilt.

It's only a story, isn't it?... Who's to say what's only a story and what's truth disguised as a story?

Once you've decided that something's absolutely true, you've closed your mind on it, and a closed mind doesn't go anywhere. Question everything. That's what education's all about.

As long as I know that my motives are good, I'm Seldom very concerned with the opinions of others. -Mandorallen, Baron of Vo Mandor.

Garion started shaving. Try to keep away from your nose, said Hettar wryly. A man looks quite strange without a nose.