James Clavell Quotes

reminding himself to remember forever that the pen’s a long arm from the grave.

and damned nomads in Mesopotamia have again cut the telegraph — another expeditionary force is being organized to deal with them once and for all!

Always remember, child,’ her first teacher had impressed on her, ‘that to think bad thoughts is really the easiest thing in the world. If you leave your mind to itself it will spiral you down into ever-increasing unhappiness. To think good thoughts, however, requires effort. This is one of the things that discipline — training — is about.

Sometimes it's wiser to give a quarry extra line — that's how to catch a fish, neh?

But they’re as Communist as Russia. They went to war against us when we were only trying to protect freedom in South Korea. We weren’t going to attack them.

those who are young will take risks which even the devil would pass by.

only the emperor among three hundred millions is allowed to use vermilion ink. Imagine that. If Queen Victoria said, ‘From now on, only I am allowed to use vermilion,’ as much as we love her, forty thousand Britons would instantly forswear all ink but vermilion. I would mysel’.

I prefer the mist that surrounds me. Yes, I don’t like a lot of what I see nowadays.

Many times Blackthorne had looked over his shoulder expecting her there, but she was never there and never would be and this did not disturb him. She was with him forever, and he knew he would love her in the good times and in the tragic times, even in the winter of his life. She was always on the edge of his dreams.

For a woman, old age is never pretty.

What is pain to a man? A privilege! Masking pain is the measure of a man.

God bless mommy and daddy, and please can we have some candy.

Anjin-san, forget the village. A thousand million things can happen before those six months occur. A tidal wave or earthquake, or you get your ship and sail away, or Yabu dies, or we all die, or who knows? Leave the problems of God to God and karma to karma. Today you’re here and nothing you can do will change that. Today you’re alive and here and honored, and blessed with good fortune. Look at this sunset, it’s beautiful, neh? This sunset exists. Tomorrow does not exist. There is only now. Please look. It is so beautiful and it will never happen ever again, never, not this sunset, never in all infinity. Lose yourself in it, make yourself one with nature and do not worry about karma, yours, mine, or that of the village.

It's good for a man to get drunk once in a while. It releases all the evil spirits.

— No tienes que llorar, O-chan. La vida sólo es un sueño dentro de un sueño — dijo el viejo