Tomas Quotes

“We can never know what to want, because, living only one life, we can neither compare it with our previous lives nor perfect it in our lives to come.”
― Milan Kundera

“...the older I get, the more I believe that if love is to be judged by most of its visible effects, it looks more like hatred than friendship.”
― Paul Hoffman, The Left Hand of God

“... If the dead can come back to this earth and move unseen around those they loved, I shall always be near you; in the garish day and in the darkest night—amidst your happiest scenes and gloomiest hours—always, always; and if there be a soft breeze upon your cheek, it shall be my breath; or if the cool air fans your throbbing temple, it shall be my spirit passing by.”
― Paul Hoffman, The Left Hand of God

“- Why you?
- (...) I’m the best.
- Modest of you.
- I am the best. Modesty has nothing to say about it.”
― Paul Hoffman, The Left Hand of God

“Wrong. Enemies don't fight with such determined passion. That kind of focus is reserved for friends at odds with one another."
pg 69 Tomas to Vlad”
― Heather Brewer, Twelfth Grade Kills

“Full many a flower is born to blush unseen and waste its sweetness on the desert air.”
― Paul Hoffman, The Last Four Things

“Self-pity, while it should be accorded due respect, is the greatest of all acids to the human soul.”
― Paul Hoffman, The Last Four Things

“Hypocrites,’ replied Cale, ‘I’ve come across a lot of them recently. I mean by that I understand now how many of them there are.”
― Paul Hoffman, The Last Four Things

“Get on your feet or die.”
― Paul Hoffman, The Left Hand of God

“(Arbell)The ungrateful gorgeous bitch.”
― Paul Hoffman, The Left Hand of God

“Better a live dog than a dead lion.”
― Paul Hoffman, The Left Hand of God

“The heart of a man is a small thing but it desires great matters. It is not big enough for a dog’s dinner but the whole world is not big enough for it. Man spares nothing that lives; he kills to feed himself, he kills to clothe himself, he kills to adorn himself, he kills to attack, he kills to defend himself, he kills to instruct himself, he kills to amuse himself, he kills for the sake of killing. From the lamb he tears its guts and makes his harp resound; from the wolf his most deadly tooth to polish his pretty works of art; from the elephant his tusks to make a toy for his child.(...)And who will exterminate him who exterminates all others?”
― paul hoffman, The Last Four Things

“Do you have any idea how mad you sound?’
‘Indeed I do. I have in moments of doubt considered the question of my sanity.’ (...)
‘And?’
‘Then I consider what a piece of work is man. How defective in reason, how mean his facilities, how ugly in form and movement, in action how like a devil, in apprehension how like a cow. The beauty of the world? The paragon of animals? To me the quintessence of dust.”
― Paul Hoffman, The Last Four Things

“Force is as pitiless to the man who possesses it as it is to its victims—the second it crushes, the first it intoxicates.”
― Paul Hoffman, The Left Hand of God

“Many are called, few are chosen.”
― Paul Hoffman, The Last Four Things

“Even for the very clever it can be like breaking bones to stand back from something that’s been in front of you all your life.”
― Paul Hoffman, The Last Four Things

“I don't see why you two can't get along."
"It is a personality issue," Rathenridge muttered.
Dentin looked at him. No emotion, no reaction, simply bland observation. "Yours?”
― Rachel Rossano, Duty

“Until two days ago what had driven him was the will to survive: deep, animal, full of rage—but always part of him had not cared at all whether he lived or died. Now he did care, and very deeply, and so for the first time in a long time he was afraid. To love life is, of course, a wonderful thing, but not on this day of all days.”
― Paul Hoffman, The Left Hand of God

“I have a message for your daughter,” said Cale. “I am bound to her with cables that not even God can break. One day, if there is a soft breeze on her cheek, it may be my breath; one night, if the cool wind plays with her hair, it may be my shadow passing by.”
And with this terrible threat he faced forward and the procession started once more. In less than a minute they were gone. In her shady room Arbell Swan-Neck stood white and cold as alabaster.”
― Paul Hoffman, The Left Hand of God

“Feeling sorry for yourself is a universal solvent of salvation.”
― Paul Hoffman, The Last Four Things

“A tick of amusement flashed in Tomas’ eyes. “I can see you are not quite comfortable with leaving your quarters just yet, so may I order you some food?” Helena lifted her chin. She was determined to bury her fear, and that included her wobbly knees that seemed to recognize she was talking to a lion who, under normal circumstances, viewed her as a tasty gazelle. “Sausage Pizza and…Dr. Pepper.” Tomas stared for several moments, fear filling his eyes. “I am certain we can find you a pizza, but I was not aware you are ill and require a doctor. Niccolo will have my head.” This was going to be a very, very long day.”
― Mimi Jean Pamfiloff, Accidentally Married to...a Vampire?

“...this refinement and delicacy were what Cale adored; but Cale had been beaten into shape, hammered in dreadful fires of fear and pain. How could she be with him for long? A secret part of Arbell had been searching for some time for a way to leave her lover—although she was unaware of this, it is only fair to record. And so as Cale waited for her to save him while he worked out a way of saving her, she had already chosen the bitter but reasonable path of the good, of the many over the one...”
― Paul Hoffman, The Left Hand of God

“t was once famously said that it is as well that wars are so ruinously expensive, else we would never stop fighting them. However well said, it seems also to be endlessly forgotten that, while there may be just wars and unjust wars, there are never any cheap wars.”
― Paul Hoffman, The Left Hand of God

“...his soul (was) ringing like a well-struck bell. But it was a bell that rang with more than joy and adoration — there was the sound there too of anger and resentment. She would not look at him because she did not want to be in his presence. She hated him and he (how could he not?) hated her in return.”
― Paul Hoffman, The Left Hand of God

“It is not against reason, said the Englishman, to prefer the destruction of the world to a scratch on your finger – how much easier to understand the same price for the gash in your soul.”
― Paul Hoffman, The Last Four Things