Garth Nix > Quotes

“Does the walker choose the path or the path choose the walker?”
― Garth Nix, Lirael

“My parents are going to kill me!"
"That seems rather harsh...”
― Garth Nix, Sir Thursday

“Touchstone watched, suddenly conscious that he probably only had five seconds left to be alone with Sabriel, to say something, to say anything. Perhaps the last five seconds they ever would have alone together.
I am not afraid, he said to himself.
"I love you," he whispered. "I hope you don't mind.”
― Garth Nix, Sabriel

“Choosers will be beggars if the begging's not their choosing.”
― Garth Nix, Lirael

“Maybe if I act well enough, I'll come to believe it myself.”
― Garth Nix, Abhorsen

“Five Great Charters knit the land
Together linked, hand in hand
One in the people who wear the crown
Two in the folk who keep the Dead down
Three and Five became stone and mortar
Four sees all in frozen water.”
― Garth Nix, Sabriel

“Please," said Lirael..."I think I would like to work in this Library."
"The Library," repeated Sanar, looking troubled. "That can be dangerous to a girl of fourteen. Or a woman of forty, for that matter.”
― Garth Nix, Lirael

“Often, I get the feeling that the story is really happening somewhere and all I'm doing is trying to work out the best way to tell it.”
― Garth Nix

“Who or what are you? Besides insufferably rude?”
― Garth Nix, Lirael

“When the dead do walk seek water's run,
for this the Dead will always shun. Swift river's best or broadest lake
to ward the dead and have and make.
If water fails thee, fire's thy friend,
if neither guards it will be thy end.”
― Garth Nix, Lirael

“Charity is a very labour-intensive virtue.”
― Garth Nix, Mister Monday

“Knowledge, like all things, is best in moderation," intoned the Will. "Knowing everything means you don't need to think, and that is very dangerous.”
― Garth Nix, Lady Friday

“...sometimes it is easier to see the light when you stand partly in the darkness.”
― Garth Nix, Mister Monday

“As for you, Private, if you mention a word of this to anyone, I'll feed you to the cat thing here. Understand?"
"Yum," said Mogget.
"Yes, sir!" mumbled the telephone operator, his hands shaking as he tried to smother the burning wreckage of his switchboard with a fire blanket.”
― Garth Nix, Abhorsen

“Choosers will be beggars if the begging's not their choosing," said the Dog
"What does that mean?"
"I have no idea," said the Dog”
― Garth Nix, Lirael

“A Kiss," said Mogget sleepily. "Actually, just a breath would do. But you have to start kissing someone sometime, I suppose."
"A breath?" she asked. She didn't want to kiss just any wooden man. He looked nice enough, but he might not be like his looks. A kiss seemed too forward.”
― Garth Nix, Sabriel

“Do not tarry, do not stop, no matter what happens.”
― Garth Nix, Sabriel

“The visions are fragmented and a dark cloud spreads like spilt ink across the pages of possible futures.”
― Garth Nix, Lirael

“Death and what came after death was no great mystery to Sabriel. She just wished it was.”
― Garth Nix, Sabriel

“Well met, Mistress Lirael. This ragamuffin, as your servant so aptly described him, is His Highness Prince Sameth, the Abhorsen-in-Waiting. Hence the bells. But on to more serious matters. Could you please rescue us? Prince Sameth's personal vessel is not quite what I'm used to, and he is eager to catch me a fish before my morning nap.”
― Garth Nix, Lirael

“Fear and realisation of ignorance, strong medicines against stupid pride.”
― Garth Nix, Sabriel

“Hear, hear," said the Dog, raising her head. "It's always better to be doing, Prince. Besides, you don't smell like a coward, so you can't be one.”
― Garth Nix, Lirael

“Fine!" muttered Mogget. "Wet, cold, and full of holes. Another fun day on the river.”
― Garth Nix, Lirael

“I can see time," whispered Mogget, so softly that his words were lost.”
― Garth Nix, Sabriel

“He was obviously a very arrogant ragamuffin, and younger than she was, to boot. And he was wearing a necromancer's bells! Apart from that, he was quite handsome, which was another black mark as far as she was concerned.”
― Garth Nix, Lirael

“Clearly the Old One had the capacity to kill - or easily deliver some sort of final ending that sounded remarkably like death.”
― Garth Nix, Mister Monday

“Yep," said Arthur. Somehow yep seemed the most positive thing he could say. Stronger than yeah and more heroic than yes. He hoped he could live up to it.”
― Garth Nix, Drowned Wednesday

“If only Sam could have stayed just like the Dog, she thought. A comforting friend without the complication of romantic interest.There had to be something she could do to completely discourage him, short of throwing up, or making herself totally unattractive.
"I'm thirty-five," she said at last.”
― Garth Nix, Lirael

“Just like the Perimeter! It never rains but it pours," declared the Major.”
― Garth Nix, Abhorsen

“Even now, she wished she could write a note, push it across the table, and go away to her room. But she was no longer a Second Assistant Librarian of the Great Library of the Clayr. Those days were gone, vanished with everything else that had defined her previous existence and identity.”
― Garth Nix, Lirael

“Be careful... You're all I've got left, to remind me who I really am.”
― Garth Nix

“I am not going to change who I am. I am human and I know how to love, and be kind, and be compassionate to those who are weaker than me. Just because I have power doesn't mean I have to use it!”
― Garth Nix, Superior Saturday

“Time plays tricks between here and home," said Mogget sepulchrally, frightening the life out of the telephone operator.”
― Garth Nix, Abhorsen

“Nick shook his head and found to his surprise that he did have tears left after all. He wasn't surprised by a talking cat. The world was crumbling around him and anything could happen.”
― Garth Nix, Abhorsen

“Since being a prisoner was a definite improvement over being dead, which was what she thought was going to happen when the Loundergs had attacked, Suzy was quite cheerful.”
― Garth Nix, Lord Sunday

“But think of how much worse it would be to sit here, not knowing. Until the Dead choke the Ratterlin and Hedge walks across the dry bed of the river to batter down the door.”
― Garth Nix

“Let this be my final lesson. Everyone and everything has a time to die.”
― Garth Nix, Sabriel

“I 'ad a toy when I was little,' said Suzy. She frowned for a moment, then added, 'Can't remember what it was. It moved and made me laugh...”
― Garth Nix, Superior Saturday

“I suppose you could call me...Soot," said the thing. "Yes...Soot. I have breathed it, lived in it, and eaten it for so long that it is a fitting name."
"Eaten it?" asked Suzy. "Why eat soot?"
"Boredom," said Soot.”
― Garth Nix, Grim Tuesday

“You are an adventurer!" exclaimed Sylvie. She tore herself away from the window and handed the glasses back to her. "But I suppose that could work. Only, what will happen afterwards?"
'I was planning to worry about afterwards when there is an afterwards," replied Leaf. "And I'm not an adventurer. At least not by choice. I've done that once and learned my lesson. No more adventures without knowing what I'm getting into."
"They wouldn't be adventures, then," said Sylvie.”
― Garth Nix, Sir Thursday

“Does the walker chose the path, or the path the walker?”
― Garth Nix

“Ow do you knock out a Denizen?" asked Suzy. "I tried it myself once or twice, but just hitting them never works."
"It is not the force of the blow, but the authority with which it is delivered," quoth the raven.”
― Garth Nix, Lord Sunday

“There is never one absolutely right thing to do. All you can do is honor what you believe, accept the consequences of your own actions, and make the best out of what happens.”
― Garth Nix, Superior Saturday

“VIDEO ARCHIVE-
INTERVIEW 24768 . GOLD-EYE
I like trees… grass… only birds in sky. People walking safe. Family
No Creatures. Sleep all night safe. Walk under sun in own place.
Grow plants. Build.
Be father with mother. Have Children. A place like Petar told me. Home.
After Change goes back…
I want home.”
― Garth Nix, Shade's Children

“Don't look, part of his mind said. If you don't see trouble, it doesn't exist.
But it does, thought Arthur, fighting down the fear. Keep breathing slowly. You have to confront your fears. Deal with them.”
― Garth Nix, Mister Monday

“It is taken care of. Nothing will not break into my Pit or the Far Reaches! I cannot speak for the other parts of the House, but we have Nothing well in hand here. I understand Nothing as no one else does!
- Grim Tuesday”
― Garth Nix, Grim Tuesday

“Unhand my tail!" squealed the Will.”
― Garth Nix, Grim Tuesday

“Bee stings are very educational”
― Garth Nix, The Ragwitch

“For all my longer works (i.e. the novels) I write chapter outlines so I can have the pleasure of departing from them later on.”
― Garth Nix

“The visions are fragmented and a dark cloud spreads like spiky ink across the pages of possible futures.”
― Garth Nix, Sabriel