Quotes from John Steinbeck

Thus it came about that the conquerors grew afraid of the conquered and their nerves wore thin and they shot at shadows in the night.

If he needs a million acres to make him feel rich, seems to me he needs it 'cause he feels awful poor inside hisself, and if he's poor in hisself, there ain't no million acres gonna make him feel rich

A man's mind vagued up a little, for how can you remember the feel of pleasure or pain or choking emotion? You can remember only that you had them.

Good," he said. "A group. Mary and you and the two kids. Subject: men—their weakness and stupidity and how to use them.

You're getting well," Samuel said. "Some people think it's an insult to the glory of their sickness to get well. But the time poultice is no respecter of glories. Everyone gets well if he waits around.

Grampa an' the old place, they was jus' the same thing.

Liza accepted the world as she accepted the Bible, with all of its paradoxes and its reverses. She did not like death but she knew it existed, and when it came it did not surprise her.

When a man comes to die, no matter what his talents and influences and genius, if he died unloved his life must be a failure to him and his dying a cold horror. It seems to me that if you or I must choose between two courses of thought or action, we should remember our dying and try so to live that our death brings no pleasure to the world.

But Kino had lost his old world and he must clamber on to a new one. For his dream of the future was real and never to be destroyed, and he said I will go, and that made a real thing too.

Netikiu už poj??i? ribos egzistuojan?ia nuojauta, žaibu, vandeniline bomba ar net tokiais daiktais kaip žibut?s, žuv? pulkai, bet žinau, kad jie egzistuoja. Netikiu šm?klomis, nors esu j? mat?s.

Learnin' it all a time, ever' day. If you're in trouble or hurt or need—go to poor people. They're the only ones that'll help—the only ones.'' The screen door slammed behind her.

he felt himself hopelessly outnumbered.

Then it don' matter. Then I'll be all aroun' in the dark. I'll be ever'where--wherever you look. Wherever they's a fight so hungry people can eat, I'll be there. Wherever they's a cop beatin' up a guy, I'll be there. If Casy knowed, why, I'll be in the way guys yell when they're mad an'-- I'll be in the way kids laugh when they're hungry an' they know supper's ready. An' when our folks eat the stuff they raise an' live in the houses they build--why, I'll be there. See?

?domu, kiek yra žmoni?, kuri? aš nesu mat?s, nors ži?riu ? juos vis? gyvenim?.

But on the left-hand boundary of the lot is the stern and stately whore house of Dora Flood; a decent, clean, honest, old-fashioned sporting house where a man can take a glass of beer among friends.

People found happiness in the future according to their present lack

In utter loneliness a writer tries to explain the inexplicable. And if he is a writer wise enough to know it can't be done, then he is not a writer at all. A good writer always works at the impossible.

Lee's voice said, "I know that sometimes a lie is used in kindness. I don't believe it ever works kindly. The quick pain of truth can pass away, but the slow, eating agony of a lie is never lost. That's a running sore.

line between hunger and anger is a thin line.

Ever see a cock pheasant, stiff and beautiful, ever' feather drawed an' painted an' even his eyes drawed in pretty? An' bang! You pick him up - bloody an' twisted, an' you spoiled somepin better'n you; an' eatin' him don't ever make it up to you, 'cause you spoiled somepin in yaself, an' you can't never fix it up.

Those sons-of-bitches over there ain't buying. Every yard gets 'em. They're lookers. Spend all their time looking. Don't want to buy no cars; take up your time. Don't give a damn for your time.

Look, Samuel, I mean to make a garden of my land. Remember my name is Adam. So far I've had no Eden, let alone been driven out." "It's the best reason I ever heard for making a garden," Samuel exclaimed. He chuckled. "Where will the orchard be?" Adam said, "I won't plant apples. That would be looking for accidents.

Je sens que je suis un homme, et l'homme est une chose très importante, peut être plus importante qu'une étoile

Mes nenor?jom matyti to, ko negal?jom išaiškinti, ir tokiu b?du didel? pasaulio dalis buvo palikta vaikams ir bepro?iams, kvailiams ir mistikams, kurie labiau dom?josi pa?iais reiškiniais negu j? priežastimis. Pasaulio pal?p?n sugr?sta tiek daug sen? ir nuostabi? daikt?, kuri? mes nenorim matyti šalia sav?s, ta?iau išmesti nedr?stam.