New Quote Topic – King Quotes

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Over the weekend I added a new quote topic, king quotes.  You can see all of the king quotes here.  In the meantime here are a few of my favorites:

“All I say is, kings is kings, and you got to make allowances. Take them all around, they’re a mighty ornery lot. It’s the way they’re raised.” ~  The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

A well proportioned mind is one which shows no particular bias; one of which we may safely say that it will never cause its owner to be confined as a madman, tortured as a heretic, or crucified as a blasphemer. Also, on the other hand, that it will never cause him to be applauded as a prophet, revered as a priest, or exalted as a king. Its usual blessings are happiness and mediocrity. ~  Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy

“When I am king, they shall not have bread and shelter only, but also teachings out of books; for a full belly is little worth where the mind is starved.” ~  The Prince and The Pauper by Mark Twain

LitQuotes on Twitter – November 2012

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Twitter

Do you follow us on Twitter? If not, you’ll want to check it out.  Here are some interesting items that we’ve tweeted about recently:

Our Twitter Feed also has a separate daily quote.

 

 

George Eliot (1819-1880)

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George Eliot

Mary Anne Evans, commonly known as George Eliot, was born on November 22, 1819.   Evans wrote under a male pen name to ensure that her works  would be taken seriously.  At the time it was thought that women authors wrote only lighthearted romances.

Middlemarch, for instance, deals with subjects like the Great Reform Bill, the beginnings of railways and the death of King George IV.  Virginia Woolf once said that Middlemarch, “is one of the few English novels written for grown-up people.”

Other novels by George Eliot include Adam Bede, The Mill on the Floss, Silas Marner,   Romola, Daniel Deronda as well as Felix Holt, the Radical.

Pride helps us; and pride is not a bad thing when it only urges us to hide our own hurts—not to hurt others. ~ Middlemarch by George Eliot

Novels by George Eliot

  • Adam Bede
  • The Mill on the Floss
  • Silas Marner
  • Romola
  • Felix Holt, the Radical
  • Middlemarch
  • Daniel Deronda

More About George Eliot

Great Expectations: The Sons and Daughters of Charles Dickens

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What a great year for books about Charles Dickens! The 200th birthday of the author has seen the publication of some interesting  biographies. The latest, Great Expectations: The Sons and Daughters of Charles Dickens by Robert Gottlieb, hits the bookstores on November 27th.

Gottlieb’s book focuses on the lives of the ten children of Charles Dickens.  (Yep, he had ten children.)  It also touches on a possible child that Dickens had with his mistress, Ellen Ternan.

I haven’t read a review copy, but Publisher’s Weekly has.  In their review of  Great Expectations: The Sons and Daughters of Charles Dickens PW says, “This smart and accessible biography is written in a clever, conversational tone that radiates coziness during even the coldest moments, keeping the pages swiftly turning. ”

Here’s what Amazon has to say about the book:

Charles Dickens, famous for the indelible child characters he created—from Little Nell to Oliver Twist and David Copperfield—was also the father of ten children (and a possible eleventh). What happened to those children is the fascinating subject of Robert Gottlieb’s Great Expectations. With sympathy and understanding he narrates the highly various and surprising stories of each of Dickens’s sons and daughters, from Kate, who became a successful artist, to Frank, who died in Moline, Illinois, after serving a grim stretch in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Each of these lives is fascinating on its own. Together they comprise a unique window on Victorian England as well as a moving and disturbing study of Dickens as a father and as a man.

Go to Amazon.com to buy Great Expectations: The Sons and Daughters of Charles Dickens

Thanksgiving Quote Photo

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Here’s a new quote photo.  This funny quote is from A Woman of No Importance by Oscar Wilde.   I’ve also added it to the LitQuotes Facebook page for easier sharing.

“After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one’s own relations.” ~ A Woman of No Importance by Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde

 

10 Funny Quotes from Literature

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LitQuotesClassic literature can be inspirational.  It can be poetic.  It can be educational.  Classic literature can also be really funny!  Check out these ten funny quotes from literature:

1 – “How dreadful!” cried Lord Henry. “I can stand brute force, but brute reason is quite unbearable. There is something unfair about its use. It is hitting below the intellect.” ~  The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

2 – “If you could see my legs when I take my boots off, you’d form some idea of what unrequited affection is.”  ~  Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens

3 – Indeed, he would sometimes remark, when a man fell into his anecdotage, it was a sign for him to retire from the world. ~  Lothair by Benjamin Disraeli

4 – You cannot make a man by standing a sheep on its hind-legs. But by standing a flock of sheep in that position you can make a crowd of men. ~  Zuleika Dobson by Sir Max Beerbohm

5 – The bishop did not whistle: we believe that they lose the power of doing so on being consecrated. ~  The Warden by Anthony Trollope

6 – A story with a moral appended is like the bill of a mosquito. It bores you, and then injects a stinging drop to irritate your conscience. ~  Strictly Business by O. Henry

7  – From politics, it was an easy step to silence. ~  Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

8 – Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example. ~  The Tragedy of Pudd’nhead Wilson by Mark Twain

9 – It is not that I object to the work, mind you; I like work: it fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours. ~  Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome

10 – I don’t want to repeat my innocence. I want the pleasure of losing it again. ~  This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald

If you enjoyed these quotes check out our humorous quotes page or our random funny quote feature.

Anna Karenina Movie

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This Friday (November 16th) a movie adaptation of Anna Karenina opens in limited release in the United States. As you can see by the below trailer, the movie is a lush period piece.

I’ve never read the book so I looked for the Kindle version of Anna Karenina at Amazon. I’m not sure how long it will be at this price, but I see that it’s free today.

Ask Srcrooge a Question

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Scrooge
Our partner site, Charles Dickens Gad’s Hill Place, has a fun feature that you may enjoy.  Go there to ask Ebenezer Scrooge a yes or no question.    And if you’re a Scrooge fan, check out our gift shop for Scrooge clothing, mugs and more.

Darkness is cheap, and Scrooge liked it.
  A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens


Too Many Love Letters

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Click for larger image

In Verona, Italy there’s a house called Casa di Giulietta or Juliet’s House.  While Romeo and Juliet are fictional characters, that hasn’t stopped thousands of tourists from flocking to Juliet’s house and attaching their love letters to Juliet’s wall.  It’s said that affixing a love letter to the wall will make the love everlasting.

It’s very romantic and evidently very messy as the notes are often stuck to the wall using chewing gum.  The Verona city council has now banned the practice except for specially marked panels.  The fine for bypassing the special panels and attaching a note to the wall of Juliet’s house is 500 euros.