ŷ������

“We have only one story. All novels, all poetry, are built on the neverending contest in ourselves of good and evil. And it occurs to me that evil must constantly respawn, while good, while virtue, is immortal. Vice has always a new fresh young face, while virtue is venerable as nothing else in the world is.”
― John Steinbeck, East of Eden

“There is more beauty in truth, even if it is a dreadful beauty. The storytellers at the city gate twist life so that it looks sweet to the lazy and the stupid and the weak, and this only strengthens their infirmities and teaches nothing, cures nothing, nor does it let the heart soar.”
― John Steinbeck, East of Eden

“They're a dark people with a gift for suffering way past their deserving. It's said that without whiskey to soak and soften the world, they'd kill themselves. (Irish)”
― John Steinbeck, East of Eden

“It's because I haven't courage,' said Samuel. 'I could never quite take the responsibility. When the Lord God did not call my name, I might have called his name - but I did not. There you have the difference between greatness and mediocrity. It's not an uncommon disease. But it's nice for a mediocre man to know that greatness must be the loneliest state in the world.'

'I'd think there are degrees of greatness,' Adam said.

'I don't think so,' said Samuel. 'That would be like saying there is a little bigness. No. I believe when you come to that responsibility the hugeness and you are alone to make your choice. On one side you have warmth and companionship and sweet understanding, and on the other - cold, lonely greatness. There you make your choice. I'm glad I chose mediocrity, but how am I to say what reward might have come with the other? None of my children will be great either, except perhaps Tom. He's suffering over the choosing right now. It's a painful thing to watch. And somewhere in me I want him to say yes. Isn't that strange? A father to want his son condemned to greatness! What selfishness that must be.”
― John Steinbeck, East of Eden

“I believe that there is one story in the world, and only one, that has frightened and inspired us, so that we live in a Pearl White serial of continuing thought and wonder. Humans are caught - in their lives, in their thoughts, in their hungers and ambitions, in their avarice and cruelty, and in their kindness and generosity too - in a net of good and evil. I think this is the only story we have and that it occurs on all levels of feeling and intelligence. Virtue and vice were warp and woof of our first consciousness, and they will be the fabric of our last, and this despite any changes we may impose on field and river and mountain, on economy and manners. There is no other story. A man, after he has brushed off the dust and chips of life, will have left only the hard, clean questions: Was it good or was it evil? Have I done well - or ill?”
― John Steinbeck, East of Eden

“I think the difference between a lie and a story is that a story utilizes the trappings and appearance of truth for the interest of the listener as well as of the teller. A story has in it neither gain nor loss. But a lie is a device for profit or escape. I suppose if that definition is strictly held to, then a writer of stories is a liar - if he is financially fortunate.”
― John Steinbeck, East of Eden

“…this was the gold from our mining: 'Thou mayest.' The American Standard translation orders men to triumph over sin (and you can call sin ignorance). The King James translation makes a promise in 'Thou shalt,' meaning that men will surely triumph over sin. But the Hebrew word timshel��'Thou mayest'—that gives a choice. For if 'Thou mayest'—it is also true that 'Thou mayest not.' That makes a man great and that gives him stature with the gods, for in his weakness and his filth and his murder of his brother he has still the great choice. He can choose his course and fight it through and win.”
― Jo A. Lee

“I take a pleasure in inquiring into things. I’ve never been content to pass a stone without looking under it. And it is a black disappointment to me that I can never see the far side of the moon.”
― John Steinbeck, East of Eden

“Some men are friends with the whole world in their hearts, and there are others that hate themselves and spread their hatred around like butter on hot bread.”
― John Steinbeck

“Some people think it’s an insult to the glory of their sickness to get well.”
― John Steinbeck, East of Eden

“The proofs that God does not exist are very strong, but in lots of people they are not as strong as the feeling that He does.”
― John Steinbeck

“There's a capacity for appetite... that a whole heaven and earth of cake can't satisfy”
― John Steinbeck

“The weight of knowledge is too great for one mind to absorb.”
― John Steinbeck, East of Eden

“A writer of stories is a liar.”
― John Steinbeck

“Aron's training in worldliness was gained from a young man of no experience, which gave him the ability for generalization only the inexperienced can have.”
― John Steinbeck, East of Eden

“In uncertainty I am certain that underneath their topmost layer of frailty men want to be good and want be loved. Indeed most of their vices are attempted short cuts to love.”
― John Steinbeck, East of Eden

“There's more beauty in the truth even if it is a dreadful beauty.”
― John Steinbeck, East of Eden

“I think I love you."
"But I'm not good."
"Because you're not good.”
― John Steinbeck

“I know what you hate. You hate something in them you can't understand. You don't hate their evil. You have the good in them you can't get at. I wonder what you want, what final thing.”
― John Steinbeck, East of Eden

“Liza with her acceptance could take care of tragedy; she had no real hope this side of Heaven.”
― John Steinbeck, East of Eden

“A man can do a lot of damage in the church. When someone comes here, he's got his guard up. But in church a man's wide open.”
― John Steinbeck, East of Eden

“Казват, чистата рана зараствала най- бързо. За мен няма нищо по- печално от връзки, които се поддържат единствено посредством лепилото на пощенските марки. Не можеш ли да виждаш, да чуваш, да се докосваш да един човек. най- добре забрави го!”
― John Steinbeck, East of Eden

“And I here make a rule-a great and lasting story is about everyone or it will not last. The strange and foreign is not interesting-only the deeply personal and familiar.”
― John Steinbeck, East of Eden

“...[A] loving woman is almost indestructible.”
― John Steinbeck, East of Eden

“Privately there were some things in Heaven of which she did not quite approve. There was too much singing, and she didn’t see how even the Elect could survive for very long the celestial laziness which was promised. She would find something to do in Heaven.”
― John Steinbeck, East of Eden

“...“I’m not being funny. He doesn’t think about me. He’s made someone up, and it’s like he put my skin on her. I’m not like that—not like the made-up one.��

“What’s she like?��

“Pure!�� said Abra. “Just absolutely pure. Nothing but pure—never a bad thing. I’m not like that.��

“Nobody is,�� said Lee.

“He doesn’t know me. He doesn’t even want to know me. He wants that—white—ghost.��

Lee rubbled a piece of cracker. “Don’t you like him? You’re pretty young, but I don’t think that makes any difference.��

�� ’Course I like him. I’m going to be his wife. But I want him to like me too. And how can he, if he doesn’t know anything about me? I used to think he knew me. Now I’m not sure he ever did��.”
― John Steinbeck, East of Eden

“The strange and foreign is not interesting—only the deeply personal and familiar.”
― John Steinbeck, East of Eden

“First we find a buried star and now we go to dig up a mint-new human”
― John Steinbeck

“She [Liza] most of all would disagree, and so I would not say it to her and let loose the thunder of her disagreement. She wins all arguments by the use of vehemence and the conviction that a difference of opinion is a personal affront. She's a fine woman, but you have to learn to feel your way with her.”
― John Steinbeck

“It was his first experience with this kind of love and it nearly killed him”
― John Steinbeck