Gail Carson Levine > Quotes

“A library is infinity under a roof.”
― Gail Carson Levine

“In books and in life, you need to read several pages before someone's true character is revealed.”
― Gail Carson Levine

“There's nothing wrong with reading a book you love over and over. When you do, the words get inside you, become a part of you, in a way that words in a book you've read only once can't.”
― Gail Carson Levine, Writing Magic: Creating Stories that Fly

“Step follows step,
Hope follows Courage,
Set your face towards danger,
Set your heart on victory.”
― Gail Carson Levine, The Two Princesses of Bamarre

“I wished she’d never stop squeezing me. I wished I could spend the rest of my life as a child, being slightly crushed by someone who loved me.”
― Gail Carson Levine, Ella Enchanted

“It is helpful to know the proper way to behave, so one can decide whether or not to be proper.”
― Gail Carson Levine, Ella Enchanted

“Do you like to slide?" His voice was eager.
Stair rails! Did he suspect me? I forced a sigh. "No, Majesty. I'm terrified of heights."
"Oh." His polite tone had returned.
"I wish I could enjoy it. This fear of heights is an affliction."
He nodded, a show of sympathy but not much interest. I was losing him.
"Especially," I added, "as I've grown taller.”
― Gail Carson Levine, Ella Enchanted

“That's funny, you're funny. I like you, I'm quite taken by you.”
― Gail Carson Levine, Ella Enchanted

“And so, with laughter and love, we lived happily ever after.”
― Gail Carson Levine, Ella Enchanted

“When you become a teenager, you step onto a bridge. You may already be on it. The opposite shore is adulthood. Childhood lies behind. The bridge is made of wood. As you cross, it burns behind you”
― Gail Carson Levine, Writing Magic: Creating Stories that Fly

“Hush Hattie!" I said, intoxicated with my success. "I don't want to go to my room. Everyone must know I shan't marry the prince." I ran to the door to our street, opened it, and called out into the night, "I shan't marry the prince." I turned back into the hall and ran to Char and threw my arms about his neck. "I shan't marry you." I kissed his cheek. He was safe from me.”
― Gail Carson Levine, Ella Enchanted

“I want to be with you forever and beyond...”
― Gail Carson Levine, Ella Enchanted

“Drualt took Freya's warm hand,
Her strong hand,
Her sword hand,
And pressed it to his lips,
Pressed it to his heart.
Come with me,' he said.
Come with me to battle,
My love. Tarry at my side.
Stay with me
When battle is done.
Tarry at my side.
Laugh with me,
And walk with me
The long, long way.
Tarry with me,
My love, at my side.”
― Gail Carson Levine, The Two Princesses of Bamarre

“I was born singing. Most babies cry, I sang an aria.”
― Gail Carson Levine, Fairest

“When I write, I make discoveries about my feelings.”
― Gail Carson Levine, Writing Magic: Creating Stories that Fly

“I trust you to find the good in me, but the bad I must be sure you don't overlook.”
― Gail Carson Levine, Ella Enchanted

“Things change, people change, but that doesn't mean you should forget the past.”
― Gail Carson Levine

“Who judges the judge who judges wrong?”
― Gail Carson Levine, Fairest

“If I couldn't sleep, I could read.”
― Gail Carson Levine, Ella Enchanted

“You're Only the fairest when your fairest to yourself”
― Gail Carson Levine

“She asks why I like her.
Might as well ask
Why I breathe.
Maybe tomorrow I won't
Breathe or like her
Anymore.
Maybe tomorrow the tides
Will stop.
Maybe tomorrow will bring
No more rainbows.
Maybe tomorrow
She will stop
Asking useless questions.”
― Gail Carson Levine, The Wish

“I never met a word I didn't love”
― Gail Carson Levine

“The Writer's Oath

I promise solemnly:

1. to write as often and as much as I can,

2. to respect my writing self, and

3. to nurture the writing of others.

I accept these responsibilities and shall honor them always.”
― Gail Carson Levine, Writing Magic: Creating Stories that Fly

“That fool of a fairy Lucinda did not intend to lay a curse on me. She meant to bestow a gift. When I cried inconsolably through my first hour of life, my tears were her inspiration. Shaking her head sympathetically at Mother, the fairy touched my nose. "My gift is obedience. Ella will always be obedient. Now stop crying, child."
I stopped.”
― Gail Carson Levine, Ella Enchanted

“He loved me. He'd loved me as long as he he'd known me! I hadn't loved him as long perhaps, but now I loved him equally well, or better. I loved his laugh, his handwriting, his steady gaze, his honorableness, his freckles, his appreciation of my jokes, his hands, his determination that I should know the worst of him. And, most of all, shameful though it might be, I loved his love for me.”
― Gail Carson Levine, Ella Enchanted

“I put my fingers around the unmarked ring of the spyglass and twisted. The scene became clear.
Oh no! A hairy brown spider clung to a vine! I couldn't go there!
I'd go to the desert to find a dragon. I began to reset the spyglass, but then I stopped myself. A spider was worse than a dragon?
No.
My first monsters would be spiders, then.”
― Gail Carson Levine, The Two Princesses of Bamarre

“He stopped and took my hand. "If we die, or if I die..."
He was speaking of dying, and I couldn't stop smiling.
In the dark he must not have noticed, because he said in a rush, "I must tell you that I love you, and if I live I will ask for your hand, but you needn't say anything now if it distresses you, and I might rather die without knowing that you don't love me if that's how you feel."
I tried to speak, but nothing came. I had gained courage during my adventures, but not for this.
"Addie?"
Too soft to hear, I whispered, "I do love you."
But he heard. He cupped his hand under my chin and tilted my face up so I had to meet his eyes. He was smiling too, with a smile as happy as mine. "Oh, Addie!" He leaned down to kiss me...”
― Gail Carson Levine, The Two Princesses of Bamarre

“He put his hand on my waist, and my heart began to pound, a rougher rhythm than the music. I held my skirt. Our free hands met. His felt warm and comforting and unsettling and bewildering--all at once.”
― Gail Carson Levine, Ella Enchanted

“No, I won't marry you. I won't do it. No one can force me.”
― gail carson levine, Ella Enchanted

“Why do you keep reading a book? Usually to find out what happens. Why do you give up and stop reading it? There may be lots of reasons. But often the answer is you don't care what happens. So what makes the difference between caring and not caring? The author's cruelty. And the reader's sympathy...it takes a mean author to write a good story.”
― Gail Carson Levine