“ They have no sense of humour whatsoever – even Bunty has a sense of humour compared with our hosts. They have united Prussian gloom and Presbyterian dourness in an awesome combination. Kate Atkinson
“ There is a Hindu legend that tells us that there was once a time when all men were gods, but they abused their divinity. Brahma, the god of creation, concluded that people had lost the right to their… Kate Atkinson
“ The purpose of Art,’ his mother, Sylvie, said – instructed even – ‘is to convey the truth of a thing, not to be the truth itself. Kate Atkinson
“ The brooding landscape they were currently traversing, the lowering sky above their heads and the rugged terrain beneath their feet, were all conspiring to make her feel like an unfortunate Brontë sis… Kate Atkinson
“ The beauty of the pearl was just the poor oyster trying to protect itself from the grit. From the truth... Kate Atkinson
“ That was the moment at which he realized that he had possibly become unhinged. What did it matter? The whole world was unhinged. Kate Atkinson
“ That was how you lost people, a little carelessness and they just slipped through your fingers. Kate Atkinson
“ Sometimes you wondered why anyone bothered crawling out of the cradle when what lay ahead was so darn difficult. Kate Atkinson
“ Or was it, as everyone told her, and as she must believe, all in her head? And so what if it was - wasn't everything in her head real too? What if there was no demonstrable reality? What if there was… Kate Atkinson
“ One of the things Jackson liked about Julia was her independence, one of the things he didn’t like about Julia was her independence. Kate Atkinson
“ No point in thinking, you just have to get on with life. We only have one after all, we should try and do our best. We can never get it right, but we must try. Kate Atkinson
“ Most people muddled through events and only in retrospect realized their significance. Kate Atkinson
“ Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage. Kate Atkinson
“ In Teddy’s experience people who claimed to be one thing were generally the opposite, Kate Atkinson
“ I think there is something wrong with the human race. It undermines everything one would like to believe in, don't you think? Kate Atkinson
“ I have no idea how to love another human being unless it’s by tearing them to pieces and eating them. Kate Atkinson
“ He was one of those people who stared at you with a meaningful smile on their face, as if he was somehow intellectually and spiritually superior, when the fact was he was simply socially inept. Kate Atkinson
“ Fifty-five thousand, five hundred and seventy-three dead from Bomber Command. Seven million German dead, including the five hundred thousand killed by the Allied bombing campaign. The sixty million de… Kate Atkinson
