Robert B. Parker > Quotes

“Yeah. Floyd is his batman."
His what?"
Batman, like in the British army, each officer had a batman, a personal servant."
You spend too much time reading, Spenser. You know more stuff that don't make you money than anybody I know.”
― Robert B. Parker, Mortal Stakes

“I pulled the MG in beside him at the curb and he got in.
"This thing ain't big enough for either one of us," he said. "When you getting something that fits?"
"It goes with my preppy look," I said. "You get one of these, they let you drive around the north shore, watch polo, anything you want."
I let the clutch in and turned right on Dartmouth.
"How you get laid in one of these?" Hawk said.
"You just don't understand preppy," I said. "I know it's not your fault. You're only a couple generations out of the jungle. I realize that. But if you're preppy you don't get laid in a car."
"Where do you get laid if you preppy?"
I sniffed. "One doesn't," I said.
"Preppies gonna be outnumbered in a while," Hawk said.”
― Robert B. Parker

“Has anyone ever told you," I said, "that you coalesce reality?"
"No. They only say that I'm good in the sack."
"They are accurate but limited," I said. "And if you give me their names I'll kill them.”
― Robert B. Parker

“The key to growing up well, is being tough enough.


”
― Robert B. Parker

“How about the wrong crowd," I said. "You getting in with them?"
"Not much luck," Paul said. "I'm trying like hell, but the wrong crowd doesn't seem to want me."
"Don't quit," I said. "You want something, you go after it. I was nearly thirty-five before I could get in with wrong crowd.”
― Robert B. Parker

“...You have any suggestions, make them. I'm in charge but humble. No need to salute when you see me."
Fraser said, "Mind if we snicker every once in a while behind your back?"
"Hell, no," I said. "Everyone else does.”
― Robert B. Parker, The Widening Gyre

“We split a bottle of Norman cider. Not everybody sells Norman cider by the bottle.
"Has a European feel" Susan said.
"That sounds terrific" I said. "Can I have one?"
Susan grinned at me. "How did you ever get to be so big without growing up?" she said.
"Iron self-control" I said.”
― Robert B. Parker, Ceremony

“I took my .38 out and looked to see that there were bullets in all the proper places. I knew there would be, but it did no harm to be careful. And I'd seen Clint Eastwood do it once in the movies.”
― Robert B. Parker, Small Vices

“Colt makes a heavy firearm." - Virgil Cole”
― Robert B. Parker, Appaloosa

“Thank you sir," she said. "I hope that your friend feels better soon."
I shrugged. "The ways of the Lord" I said, "are often dark, but never pleasant.”
― Robert B. Parker, The Widening Gyre

“Writer's block? I've never heard of a plumber complain about plumber's block.”
― Robert B. Parker

“I headed straight into the setting sun, and rode west at an easy pace. It was going to be a long ride, and there was no reason to hurry.”
― Robert B. Parker, Appaloosa

“REST IN PEACE, MR. PARKER.

'You want us to be surreptitious?' Hawk said.

'Surreptitious?' Sapp said.

'I educated in Head Start,' Hawk said.

'Really worked,' Sapp said.

'No reason to be covert,' I said.

'You too?' Sapp said.

'Nope,' I said. 'I'm a straight Anglo white guy of European ancestry. We're naturally smart.'

'You missed Bernard,' Sapp said.

'Tall straight Anglo white guy,' I said.

'Hey,' Bernard said.
”
― Robert B. Parker

“And so forth and so on.”
― Robert B. Parker, All Our Yesterdays

“None of us offered to shake hands. There was no advantage to letting somebody get hold of you.”
― Robert B. Parker, Appaloosa

“After a while I got hungry and went to the kitchen. There was nothing to eat. I drank another beer and looked again, and found half a loaf of whole wheat bread behind the beer in the back of the refrigerator...”
― Robert B. Parker, Mortal Stakes