Books: What Quote Do You Remember?

A Sargasso Sea of Graffiti

I have read so many books during my lifetime. There is no way I can remember every title or the author of each one. I am actually surprised at how many I do remember and authors too. But the thing that strikes now is that I keep lines in my head.

Remember that opening page of East of Eden. John Steinbeck brought the valley around Salinas Ca. alive with very few words. I thought I remembered the words but when I went back to read the book, I had rewritten the opening sentence in my mind. I liked his version better.

He wrote, "I remember the Gabilan Mountains to the east of the valley were light gay mountains full of sun and loveliness and a kind of invitation..."

Those words brought back childhood memories of a place that I needed to treasure before I could see the beauty of the place and feel it's invitation. I love everything that Steinbeck wrote.

Now I am reading The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. Inching through this book has allowed me to digest the story. Early in the book the line "It would have been better had she not died."(paraphrase) kept coming back to my mind. Don't we all carry that story of "it would have been better if..." around with us every day. I loved the simplicity of the foreshadowing phrase. "It would have been better if...." How wonderful is that.

Later in the book Tartt was describing the bedroom of an aging rich antique collector. The lady had spent a great deal of her life redecorating rooms but never disposing of the furniture that was replaced. As a result her bedroom became the "Sargasso Sea of unused furniture." I don't know about you but I have closets that are the "Sargasso Sea" of unused clothing, books and abandoned hobbies. I suppose everyone has those hidey holes in their house. The phrase will stay with me and be used often.

Along that same path of thought I have a line that I quote from the old Friends TV series compliments of Phoebe Buffet. When she was asked to do something she thought would be boring she said "I would really like to do that but I don't want to." It works for me even though it really doesn't make any sense. I loved that show.

So, what line do you remember from a book, or a TV show or a movies? Leave a comment. I am interested.

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