Quotes from John Steinbeck

It was his first sharp experience with the rule that without money you cannot fight money.

Pela grossura da camada de pó que cobre a lombada dos livros de uma biblioteca pública pode medir-se a cultura de um povo.

Most lives extend in a curve. There is a rise of ambition, a rounded peak of maturity, a gentle downward slope of disillusion and last a flattened grade of waiting for death.

Di sera avveniva una cosa strana: le venti famiglie diventavano una famiglia, i figli diventavano figli di tutti. La privazione della casa diventava una privazione comune, e gli anni felici nell'Ovest erano un sogno comune.

If it troubles us it must be that we find the trouble in ourselves.

There was a wall against learning. A man wanted his children to read, to figure, and that was enough. More might make them dissatisfied and flighty.

Coming in from his work, he gorged himself on fried food and went to bed and to sleep in the resulting torpor.

Cause I can jus' as well go away, George, an' live in a cave. You can jus' as well go to hell, said George. Shut up now.

A] loving woman is almost indestructible.

I hope we don't get in no more Hoovervilles,'' said

The nicest thing in the world you can do for anybody is let them help you.

When he read his father's books, he was the first. He lived in a world shining and fresh and as uninspected as Eden on the sixth day.

Ever'body says words different,'' said Ivy. "Arkansas folks says 'em different, and Oklahomy folks says 'em different. And we seen a lady from Massachusetts, an' she said 'em differentest of all. Couldn' hardly make out what she was sayin'.'' Noah

In a world that was not easy for Alice to bear or understand, flies were the final and malicious burden laid upon her.

If you're in trouble or hurt or need—go to poor people. They're the only ones that'll help—the only ones.

He needs us like he needs a mud dauber's nest up his pant leg

No. I won't want it ever. I would have been so happy if you could have given me—well, what your brother has—pride in the thing he's doing, gladness in his progress. Money, even clean money, doesn't stack up with that." His eyes widened a little and he said, "Have I made you angry, son? Don't be angry. If you want to give me a present—give me a good life. That would be something I could value.

They knew it would take a long time for the dust to settle out of the air.

Beans are a roof over your head.

If it is right, it happens-the main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away.

I don't want to be forgotten, Henry. That is greater horror to an old man than death--to be forgotten.

And of course they were descended from the ancient kings of Ireland, as every Irishman is.

In human affairs of danger and delicacy successful conclusion is sharply limited by hurry. So often men trip by being in a rush. If one were properly to perform a difficult and subtle act, he should first inspect the end to be achieved and then, once he had accepted the end as desirable, he should forget it completely and concentrate solely on the means. By this method he would not be moved to false action by anxiety or hurry or fear. Very few people learn this. What

Her dark eyes made little reflected stars. She was looking at him as she was always looking