Douglas Preston > Quotes

“It's a very bad habit, but one I find hard to break.”
― Douglas Preston

“You think of yourself as an "individual person", with a unique and separate mind. You think you are born and you think you die. All your life you feel separate and alone. Sometimes desperately so. You fear death because you fear the loss of individuality. All this is an illusion. You, he, she, those things around you living or not, the stars and galaxies, the empty space in between- these are not distinct, separate objects. All is fundamentally entangled.”
― Douglas Preston, Blasphemy

“A human being creates complexity by writing a novel on the surface of paper; a weather system creates complexity by writing waves on the surface of an ocean. What is the difference between the information carried in the words of a novel and the information carried on the waves of the sea? Listen, and the waves will speak, and someday, I tell you, you will write your thoughts on the surface of the sea.”
― Douglas Preston, Blasphemy

“We all have a Monster within; the difference is in degree, not in kind.”
― Douglas Preston, The Monster of Florence

“The truth shall make you free, but first it will make you miserable.”
― Douglas Preston, Gideon's Sword

“He found Pendergast's cool gaze on him, and he fidgeted. He'd forgotten about those eyes. They made you feel like you had just been stripped of your secrets.”
― Douglas Preston, Brimstone

“You cannot stare evil in the face; it has no face. It has no body, no bones, no blood. Any attempt to describe it ends in glibness and self-delusion.”
― Douglas Preston, The Monster of Florence

“Where are you from, Mr. Pendergast? Can't quite place the accent.”
“New Orleans.”
“What a coincidence! I went there for Mardi Gras once."
“How nice for you. I myself have never attended.”
Ludwig paused, the smile frozen on his face, wondering how to steer the conversation onto a more pertinent topic.”
― Douglas Preston, Still Life With Crows

“But we were just picnicking friends”
― Douglas Preston, The Monster of Florence

“Dr. Albert Frock: Well, how goes the gradual extinction of the human race, Lieutenant?
Lt. Vincent D'Agosta: I'm doing what I can to keep it orderly.”
― Douglas Preston

“My dear Vincent”
― Douglas Preston

“Already up to his waist in the quaking bog, Pendergast stopped struggling and stared up at his assassin. The icy glitter in the pale gray eyes spoke more eloquently of his hatred and despair than any words he might have spoken, and it shook Esterhazy to the core.”
― Douglas Preston, Cold Vengeance

“The Monster’s crimes were so horrific that a mere man could not possibly have committed them. Satan, in the end, had to be invoked.”
― Douglas Preston, The Monster of Florence

“Wissenschaft und Religion befinden sich in einem tiefen Konflikt. Das können wir rund um die Welt beobachten. Beide sind auf der Suche nach derselben Sache: der Wahrheit der Existenz. Es kann keine Versöhnung zwischen den beiden geben, solange die eine Seite privilegierten, göttlichen Zugang zur absoluten Wahrheit für sich beansprucht. Meiner Meinung nach ist die Wissenschaft der Weg zur Wahrheit. Wir brauchen keine Propheten, jungfräulichen Geburten oder Schrifttafeln von Gott. Die Wissenschaft wird den Schleier vor Gottes Gesicht lüften – des wahren Gottes dieses wunderschönen Universums. Das ist nicht der von Menschen gemachte Gott, der vor 2.000 Jahren von einem Hirtenvolk erfunden wurde. Zumindest ist das meine Hoffnung.”
― Douglas Preston