“I used to wonder what would happen if characters in books could change their fates. What if the Dashwood sisters had had money? Maybe Elinor would have gone traveling and left Mr. Ferrars dithering in the drawing room. What if Catherine Earnshaw had just married Heathcliff to begin with and spared everyone a lot of grief? What if Hester Prynne and Dimmesdale had gotten onboard that ship and left Roger Chillingworth far behind? I felt sorry for these characters sometimes, seeing as they couldn’t ever break out of their stories, but then again, if they could have talked to me, they’d likely have told me to stuff all my pity and condescension, for neither could I.”
- Jennifer Donnelly
from A Northern Light
I feel as though I could write an love poem to summer for the leisure time it offers! Why, I've read as many books this past week as I'd read the last month and a half before that! (I guess I didn't mention, but I finished up with finals last Wednesday and flew back home on Friday, where I am now, missing my friends when I think to, pondering employment, and eating my weight in books. Summer's like that for me.)
Oh, I love A Northern Light. There were so many marvelous quotes/passages in it.
ReplyDeleteAnd I lurv the phrase "eating my weight in books"!!