Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the folks over at The Broke and the Bookish. It’s a fun time for us all to indulge our inner compulsion to make lists about everything.
We all have that compulsion right? Right???
Anyway, the topic for this week is a doozy. I have to be honest. It’s so hard, I very nearly skipped it. But I can’t allow myself to be defeated by a challenge, so I’m rising to the occasion.
This week’s topic is my Top 10 Favorite Quotes from Books, but I have to say a few things about it before I start my list. First of all, these may not actually be my top 10 favorites. Why? Because I don’t have time tonight to re-read every book I’ve ever read and jot down my favorite quotes from all of them, and then narrow that extensive list down to a top 10. So instead, I looked up quotes from books that I remember being very quotable, and pulled some of the best ones.
You’ll also notice that all my quotes are from classic literature or fantasy. I love me some modern YA writing, but when it comes to quotes, I always prefer the eloquent and somewhat poetic writing style of older books and fantasy novels.
As an additional disclaimer: I could do this entire list with quotes from The Princess Bride. But that probably defeats the purpose of the list. So I’m only going to use a couple, and those couple are going to be unique to the book. As in, I will only use quotes that were not in the movie, even if they are amazingly awesome quotes. Because I don’t want anyone — anyone — to think that if they’ve seen the movie, they don’t need to read the book. Trust me, you need to read the book. Also, by the way, all the best lines in the movie are from the book.
So here they are! In no particular order, because just picking 10 quotes in the first place was hard enough. Putting them in an order would be excruciating.
My Top Ten Favorite Quotes from Books:
“People don’t remember me. Really. It’s not a paranoid thing; I just have this habit of slipping through memories. It doesn’t bother me all that much, except I guess that’s a lie; it does. For some reason, I test very high on forgettability.”
– The Princess Bride by William Goldman
“Enough about my beauty.” Buttercup said. “Everybody always talks about how beautiful I am. I’ve got a mind, Westley. Talk about that.”
– The Princess Bride by William Goldman
“I want to do something splendid…something heroic or wonderful that won’t be forgotten after I’m dead. I don’t know what, but I’m on the watch for it and mean to astonish you all someday.”
– Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
“I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! — When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.”
– Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
“Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It’s splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.”
– Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
“It’s all connected. When you save any part of the world, you’ve saved the whole world. In fact, that’s the only way it can be done.”
– Golden Fool by Robin Hobb
“When you cut pieces out of the truth to avoid looking like a fool you end up looking like a moron instead.”
– Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb
“It was at this point that Bilbo stopped. Going on from there was the bravest thing he ever did. The tremendous things that happened afterward were as nothing compared to it. He fought the real battle in the tunnel alone, before he ever saw the vast danger that lay in wait.”
– The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
“I can live alone, if self-respect, and circumstances require me so to do. I need not sell my soul to buy bliss. I have an inward treasure born with me, which can keep me alive if all extraneous delights should be withheld, or offered only at a price I cannot afford to give.”
– Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
“Want for nothing but patience — or give it a more fascinating name: Call it hope.”
– Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Two great Jane Austen quotes! I could have made a list filled only with quotes from my favorite Austen book, Persuasion.
Our TTT
I love, love that you included two of the lesser known quotes from the Princess Bride – and that they are great!
Your number one quote though, is fantastic. Well chosen!!
Jenn
http://wp.me/1vzzU
Jenn H recently posted..Top Ten Tuesday: Favourite Quotes
What a fantastic list! Love the Little Women quote 🙂
Angela @ AJ Arndt Books Blog recently posted..Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Quotes from Books
I love Jane Austen Sense and Sensibility so those quotes have my love! 😛 10 is not enough! Im Val & Im a new blogger. I want to meet readers, so my pleasureeee. This is •My list•
Valery @ The Book Of Owl recently posted..This week in Top Ten Tuesday • Top Ten Favorite Quotes From Books
Welcome to the world of blogging! Thanks for stopping by!
TheHouseworkCanWait recently posted..Top Ten Tuesday (May 8)
I <3 Little Women so much. I should reread it. I think I was 13 when I read it…so it's been awhile. Sadly, that's the only one on your list that I've read. =/
Lori recently posted..Top Ten Favorite Quotes From Books
I’ve got to admit, Jane Austen is a little hard to get into for me. The books are beautiful and of course I LOVE the stories, but the writing style just doesn’t suck me in like others. The quotes are great, though, and of course I still enjoy the books quite a bit, but I’m one of those people who actually prefers the Jane Austen movies to the books [ducks for cover]
For the rest though, I adored Jane Eyre. Such a beautiful story, such strong characters. And Anne of Green Gables is a very sweet, very easy read. And I’m kind of shocked you exited high school without reading The Hobbit – it’s a lot less of a challenge than Lord of the Rings, if you are interested in easing into Tolkien.
And OH MY GOSH GO READ THE PRINCESS BRIDE RIGHT NOW. I need to do a post on why everyone needs to read The Princess Bride immediately. It’s just so wonderful.
TheHouseworkCanWait recently posted..Top Ten Tuesday (May 8)
Aww I love so many of these- Jane Eyre is my favourite book and I love any quotes from it! Anne of Green Gables is also up there- I love Anne’s kindred spirit belief….it makes so much sense!
My TTT: http://www.pocketfulofbooks.com/2012/05/top-ten-tuesday-favourite-book-quotes.html
Pocketful of Books recently posted..Top Ten Tuesday: Favourite Book Quotes!
I know, Anne is the kind of character I wish existed in real life. I’d want my kids to be friends with her.
TheHouseworkCanWait recently posted..Top Ten Tuesday (May 8)
Love the quotes from The Princess Bride
Dead Trees and Silver Screens recently posted..Why You Shouldn’t Watch The Three Stooges If You Are Having Trouble Getting Pregnant (A Trying to Relax While Peeing on Sticks Movie Review
I have a theory that you could open to any random page of The Princess Bride and find at least 3 quotable quotes.
TheHouseworkCanWait recently posted..Top Ten Tuesday (May 8)
Jane Eyre! Such a great book. Love that quote too – it’s so true!
THE PRINCESS BRIDE! So much happiness abounding right now. 😀
Gretchen @ My Life is a Notebook recently posted..Top Ten Favorite Quotes From Books
Aw, I LOVE that Little Women quote! It’s so perfect.
I now think that we should do an entire top ten on quotes from The Princess Bride as I can’t believe i left off quotes from there in my list, it’s one of my favorite stories. There are so many to choose from and it would be fun to do.
Sarah @ Breaking the BInding recently posted..Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Book Quotes
I could easily do a Top 10 on The Princess Bride. Or a Top 20. Or Top 50. Even if I don’t use quotes that were also used in the movie, there’s so many good ones.
TheHouseworkCanWait recently posted..Teaser Tuesdays (May 8)
Also, this PB quote just BARELY didn’t make my list: “The beef-witted featherbrained rattledskulled clodpated dim-domed noodle-noggined sapheaded lunk-knobbed BOYS.”
TheHouseworkCanWait recently posted..Teaser Tuesdays (May 8)
*love* that quote is simply fantastic. And so appropriate almost all of the time!
Sarah @ Breaking the BInding recently posted..Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Book Quotes
Love the Louisa Alcott quote!
Laura recently posted..Bookishly Quotable
Jane Austen certainly had a way with words, didn’t she? There are some that make me smile (such as the book one,) while others are really deep.
Love!
Laura @ The Traveling Owl
Laura @ The Traveling Owl recently posted..top ten tuesday
Ahhh, Jane Eyre 🙂
Melanie @thedailyprohecy recently posted..Top 10 Tuesday (10)
I agree!!! This one was sooooo hard!!!
fakesteph recently posted..Top Ten Tuesday: Book Quotes
OK. I’ll admit it. I never knew The Princess Bride existed (movie or otherwise) until college. What a sheltered life I lead! I will read PB as soon as I can because I loved all of your other quotes and all of those other books!
Kelly recently posted..3 Non-Fiction Books You Should Have Already Read
You will probably be interested in tomorrow’s post, “Why You Should Read the Princess Bride Immediately.” Seriously.
You have NO idea how much I LOVE that you have Robin Hobb on here!! Assassin’s Apprentice is one of my favorite fantasy novels. I always recommend this to people looking for fantasy books.
Great blog. I especially love your blog title. Thanks for commenting on my review of The Help.
Jessica @ Tales Between the Pages
The Farseer books are my favorite fantasy series ever, and I’m SO GLAD that I’ve finally come across someone who’s read them! So many have never heard of them and it makes me sad. Books that good should be read by EVERYONE.
Can’t help but love that Pride & Prejudice quote. ♥
Keri Payton recently posted..Wrapped in Words and Other Things
Yes, I had a feeling that one would speak to the hearts of most people who would take the time to read a book blog 🙂
“I want to do something splendid…something heroic or wonderful that won’t be forgotten after I’m dead. I don’t know what, but I’m on the watch for it and mean to astonish you all someday.”
— YES I LOVE THIS. This is kind of my philosophy (in better words!) for life.
You had some really awesome quotes — that one from P&P is one of my all time faves!
Jamie recently posted..Top Ten Favorite Book Quotes
I also love that as a life philosophy. It kind of builds on the whole “carpe diem” philosophy, but much more eloquently. Good ol’ Jo. She would do well in our modern world.