If your book group didn't like "One Hundred Years of Solitude," or "Orlando," you may need a new book group. I especially love the description of the frozen Thames, in Orlando, and *everything* in "One Hundred Years of Solitude."
Aphorisms from Ivy Compton-Burnett:
Age:
"Yes, yes, there is more behind than in front; the past stretches further, the future less far," said Simon, speaking partly to himself. "The road before gets short."
"I admire you for saying that," said Felix.
"We should have admired you more," said Gabriel, "if your saying it three times had not shown how you admired it yourself."
"I admired it each time," said Felix. "I could hardly believe it the third time."
from More Women than Men
"It is the dead we do not speak evil of, and I shall treat my father as living for as long as I can. It is treating the old with more sympathy to speak evil of them."
from More Women than Men
Appearances:
"It is a pity when we cannot judge by the surface, when it is so often arranged for us to judge by it."
from Mother and Son
Books:
"She does not notice anything when she is reading," said Venice.
"Does she do nothing but read? I hope she will not teach you to be always poring over books. There are other things in life."
"Not in every life," said Graham.
from Parents and Children
Cake:
"You cannot eat your cake and have it."
"That is a mean saying. You could, if you had enough cake. It is sad that it has become established. It throws a dark light on human nature."
from Darkness and Day
Desperation:
"You are clutching at a straw. And when people do that, it does sometimes save them."
from Two Worlds and Their Ways
Duty:
"The sight of duty does make one shiver," said Miss Herrick. "The actual doing of it would kill one, I think."
from Pastors and Masters
"It is surprising how many people go where duty calls. I wonder if it is because they have nowhere else to go."
Familiarity:
"... familiarity breeds contempt, and ought to breed it. It is through familiarity that we get to know each other."
from Two Worlds and Their Ways
Forgiveness:
"Ah, to know all is to forgive all," said Rhoda.
"I confess I have not found it so, my lady. To forgive, it is best to know as little as possible."
from A Heritage and Its History
Friends:
"I like to hear about them, and the different ways in which they have gone downhill."
from Parents and Children
"But we could not speak evil to their faces," said Hope.
"Well, it is not a thing we are obliged to do, Mother."
"I like my friends best when they are doing it. It makes them so zestful and observant. Original too, almost creative."
from Parents and Children
Gratitude:
"Now really, you are ungrateful children. You have a beautiful home and every care and kindness. It would do you good to have to face some real trouble."
"You know it would do us harm," said Henry. [age 8]
from The Present and the Past
Heaven:
"I must try to conquer myself" said his wife, with the sigh natural to this purpose.
"As you only have your own power to do it with, it sounds as if it would be an equal struggle."
"Heaven helps those who help themselves."
"It sounds grudging of Heaven to stipulate for its work to be done for it."
from Parents and Children
Her novels:
"Anyone who picks up a Compton-Burnett finds it very hard not to put it down."
Ivy Compton-Burnett quoted by Elizabeth Sprigge in The Life of Ivy Compton-Burnett
Honesty:
"You should be careful what you say."
"I dislike people who have to do that. I have nothing to hide. It is better to talk honestly."
"I think it is much worse," said Walter. "It means all sorts of risks. Honest people can even say: 'If you don't mind my saying so,' after they have said it. And they cannot know before. Dishonest talk is far better. I should like to hear myself described insincerely."
from A Heritage and Its History
Horseplay:
Daniel and Graham picked up Honor and carried her round the room. She put her arms round their necks and laughed and shouted in reaction. Eleanor looked on with an indulgent smile, and Gavin with an expectant one. Nevill beat his hands on his sides and moved from foot to foot; and when his brothers took Gavin in Honor's stead, broke into wails and maintained them until they came to himself, when he repulsed them and stood abandoned to his sense that nothing could wipe out what had taken place. When Eleanor and Luce had expostulated in vain, and Regan explained with some success, he raised his arms and allowed himself to be lifted, leaning back in his brother's arms with an air of convalescence. They tightened their hold and quickened their pace, and he held to their shoulders and accepted this compensation for what he had borne, while Honor watched with bright eyes, and Gavin with a smile of gentle interest.
from Parents and Children
Humanity:
"Well, of course, people are only human. But it really does not seem much for them to be."
from A Family and a Fortune
Institutions:
"All institutions have the same soul."
from A Heritage and Its History
Marriage:
"So dangerous, these fusions of personality, don't you think?"
Ivy Compton-Burnett quoted by Hilary Spurling in Ivy: The Life of I. Compton-Burnett
Men:
"Oh, every one is not a man," said Theresa.
"No, that would be a queer state of things," said Miss Basden.
from Pastors and Masters
Mincing Words:
"It is unworthy to show off yourself at the expense of others. I do not mince my words. To say openly what is to be said! Ah, how much braver and better!"
" I think it is much worse. I can't tell you how bad it seems to me. And I never admire courage. It is always used against people. What other purpose has it?"
"I have said what I had to say. I shall not add another word."
"I hope not, unless you mince it," said Fanny.
from A Heritage and Its History
The Past:
"It is the future we must look to," said Constance. "It is useless to pursue the past."
"It is needless," said Audrey. "It will pursue us."
from A Father and His Fate
Patience:
"I am afraid I must confess that I yield rather easily to impatience."
"Well, well, it is the same thing," said Herrick. "The one is a condensed form of the other. Patience contains more impatience than anything else, as I judge."
"You judge well," said Bumpus.
"How profound you are, Nicholas!" said Emily. "I have always thought that. Though I have never known that I thought it. Think how it is with everything; how tolerance, for example, is only condensed intolerance, and how it holds more intolerance than anything else. It is just a case for intolerance to be kept in. And think how religion holds more dislike of religion than anything else! ... I think that good is bad condensed, and holds more bad than anything else ..."
from Pastors and Masters
Pride:
"Pride may go before a fall. But it may also continue after."
from Two Worlds and Their Ways
Self-knowledge:
"Self-knowledge speaks ill for people; it shows they are what they are, almost on purpose."
Silver linings:
"And we cannot depend on the silver lining, sir," said Deakin. "I have seen many clouds without it."
"I have never seen one with it," said Walter. "My clouds have been so very black."
"Well, the lighter the lining, sir, the darker the cloud may seem."
"You pride yourself on pessimism, Deakin," said Julia.
"Well, ma'am, when we are told to look on the bright side of things, it is not generally at a happy time."
"But it is good advice for daily life."
"Daily life harbous everything, ma'am. All our troubles come into it."
from A Heritage and Its History
Time:
"Time has too much credit," said Bridget. "It is not a great healer. It is an indifferent and perfunctory one. Sometimes it does not heal at all. And sometimes when it seems to, no healing has been necessary."
from Darkness and Day
Togetherness:
"It seems to take two to do most things. To argue and to quarrel and to marry. Man is said to be a social creature. But it does not all seem so very social."
from A Heritage and Its History
Trust:
"You must trust me," said Magdalen.
"But that is what I cannot do. At any time you might act for my good. When people do that, it kills something precious between them."
from Manservant and Maidservant
Truth:
"Of course truth comes out of the mouths of babes. They are too simple to suppress it."
from Mother and Son
"Truth is so impossible. Something has to be done for it."
from Darkness and Day
Virtue:
"Virtue has gone out of me."
"It has," said Reuben. "We saw and heard it going out."
from A God and His Gifts
Weddings:
"A wedding upsets me," said Miss Munday. "I am very sentimental."
"So it does me," said Felix.
"Well, do you know, so it does me," said Josephine. "I cannot explain it, but there it is."
"I can explain it," said Felix; "but I don't think I will."
"I explained it," said Miss Munday.
"We feel that the bride and bridegroom care more for each other, than anyone cares for us," said Helen.
from More Women than Men
Wild horses:
"Wild horses would not drag the admission from me."
"Wild horses never have much success," said Lavinia. "Their history is a record of failure. And we do suggest a good deal for them."
from The Mighty and their Fall
"You will find my casual methods a change," said Catherine. "I hope you will not mind them."
"Ursula will not. I will mind them very much. But wild horses would not drag it from me. Though I hardly think wild horses do as much to drag things from people as is thought."
from The Present and the Past
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