Quotes from Robertson Davies

Literary critics, however, frequently suffer from a curious belief that every author longs to extend the boundaries of literary art, wants to explore new dimensions of the human spirit, and if he doesn't, he should be ashamed of himself.

I never heard of anyone who was really literate or who ever really loved books who wanted to suppress any of them.

A big man is always accused of gluttony, whereas a wizened or osseous man can eat like a refugee at every meal, and no one ever notices his greed.

He was a genius - that is to say, a man who does superlatively and without obvious effort something that most people cannot do by the uttermost exertion of their abilities.

When one is traveling, one must expect to spend a certain amount of money foolishly.

Money, it is often said, does not bring happiness; it must be added, however, that it makes it possible to support unhappiness with exemplary fortitude.

People are not saints just because they haven't got much money or education.

The nature of happiness is such that happiness retreats the more intensely you pursue it.

All mothers think their children are oaks, but the world never lacks for cabbages.

Boredom and stupidity and patriotism, especially when combined, are three of the greatest evils of the world we live in.

I don't suppose God laughs at the people who think He doesn't exist. He's above jokes. But the devil isn't. That's one of his most endearing qualities.

The ideal companion in bed is a good book.

Happiness is always a by-product. It is probably a matter of temperament, and for anything I know it may be glandular.

Childhood may have periods of great happiness, but it also has times that must simply be endured. Childhood at its best is a form of slavery tempered by affection.

Never harbor grudges; they sour your stomach and do no harm to anyone else.

The people who fear humor - and they are many - are suspicious of its power to present things in unexpected lights, to question received opinions and to suggest unforeseen possibilities.

Their very conservatism is secondhand, and they don't know what they are conserving.

Canada was settled, in the main, by people with a lower middle-class outlook, and a respect, rather than an affectionate familiarity, for the things of the mind.

May I make a suggestion, hoping it is not an impertinence? Write it down: write down what you feel. It is sometimes a wonderful help in misery.

Very few [doctors] are men of science in any very serious sense; they're men of technique.

A happy childhood has spoiled many a promising life.

This is the Great Theatre of Life. Admission is free, but the taxation is mortal. You come when you can, and leave when you must. The show is continuous. Goodnight.

On the whole, we treat the Devil shamefully, and the worse we treat Him the more He laughs at us.

The little boy nodded at the peony and the peony seemed to nod back. The little boy was neat, clean and pretty. The peony was unchaste, dishevelled as peonies must be, and at the height of its beauty.(...) Every hour is filled with such moments, big with significance for someone.