Bernard MacLaverty Quotes

INTERVIEWER: (After an awkward silence) And how do you see the future? PROFUNDO: I wait for it to come and then look at it (laughs).

It is disconcerting to find that an acquaintance considers you his best friend, his soul mate, but I could do nothing about it.

He continued talking. "When you find out about real education you can never leave it alone. I don't mean A-levels and things like that - you are just proving something to yourself with them - but books, ideas, feelings. Everything to do with up here." He tapped his temple. "And here." He tapped the middle of his chest.

Sometimes I have difficulty with the avant-garde. There's a gallery in London I've been to and it's difficult to tell what's going on. A bag of nails, a ladder, a hammer - a crisp bag in the corner. Is it an exhibition or are they preparing an exhibition? Is the artist asking me to pay attention to something trivial or important?

It's all going far too well," said Gerry. "A bad omen.

A summer insect flew into the metal dome of the Anglepoise and knocked around like a tiny knuckle.

Look, see, behold. Above all, listen.

They crossed a metal suspension bridge over a canal. Both sides of the structure bristled with padlocks. Some of the brass locks had felt-tipped names written on them. 'Don + Gwen', 'Micky & Minnie', 'Leo n Leonora'. One had a message written on it. 'Graham and Vickey. I love you more than Coco Pops.' "It must be some kind of love fest," Gerry said. "Clamped for ever."
"Have you seen this kinda thing before?" "I've heard of it." "It'll be the young ones." "Trendy ones."

Cal, the world is full of gulpins who don't care who they hurt.

He wanted to pray but couldn't because he no longer believed. Prayer was just an intense wishing.

"Alcohol is the rubber tyres between me and the pier." He held up his glass to her. They chinked.

When she met men the first things she took account of were the negative things. Wimpishness, a bully, shiftiness, recklessness, elaborate facial hair.

In a Portstewart guest house her father liked to play tricks when he had eaten his egg. He would put the shell upside down in someone else's eggcup. The McKennas would sit and watch the next person lift a spoon and cave in the top of the hollow egg.

Stella was telling the clerk that there was a Catholic church in the heart of the red-light district called 'Our Dear Lord in the Attic'. "Would there be Mass there?" "No, I do not think so." The clerk shook his head. "It is now a museum." "All religion should be in museums," Gerry said.

I wish I was artistic," said Liz, "then I could be temperamental.