Gail Carriger > Gail's Quotes

“Cats were not, in her experience, an animal with much soul. Prosaic, practical little creatures as a general rule. It would suit her very well to be thought catlike.”
― Gail Carriger, Soulless

“Madame Lefoux accepted a cup of tea and sat on another little settee, next to the relocated calico cat. The cat clearly believed Madame Lefoux was there to provide chin scratches. Madame Lefoux provided.”
― Gail Carriger, Changeless

“My dearest girl,' said the vampire finally, examining Lord Maccon with an exhausted but appreciative eye, 'such a banquet. Never been one to favor werewolves myself, but he is very well equipped, now, is he not?'

Miss Tarabotti gave him an arch look. 'My goodies,' she warned.

Humans,' chuckled the vampire, 'so possessive.”
― Gail Carriger, Soulless

“Alexia figured, delightedly, that this meant he did, in fact, tend to traipse around his private apartments in the altogether. Marriage was becoming more and more of an attractive prospect.”
― Gail Carriger, Soulless

“A vampire, like a lady, never reveals his true age.”
― Gail Carriger, Soulless

“Miss Tarabotti was not one of life's milk-water misses--in fact, quite the opposite. Many a gentleman had likened his first meeting with her to downing a very strong cognac when one was expecting to imbibe fruit juice--that is to say, startling and apt to leave one with a distinct burning sensation.”
― Gail Carriger, Soulless

“How ghastly for her, people actually thinking, with their brains, and right next door. Oh, the travesty of it all.”
― Gail Carriger, Soulless

“I may be a werewolf and Scottish, but despite what you may have read about both, we are not cads!”
― Gail Carriger, Soulless

“I mean to say, really, I am near to developing a neurosis - is there anyone around who doesn't want to study or kill me?"
Floote raised a tentative hand.
"Ah, yes, thank you, Floote."
"There is also Mrs Tunstell, madam," he offered hopefully, is if Ivy were some kind of consolation prize.
"I notice you don't mention my fair-weather husband."
"I suspect, at this moment, madam, he probably wants to kill you."
Alexia couldn't help smiling. "Good point.”
― Gail Carriger, Blameless

“The ill-informed masses included her own family among their ranks, a family that specialized in being both inconvenient and asinine.”
― Gail Carriger, Soulless

“Alexia suspected Lord Maccon's handling was a tad more than was strictly called for under the circumstances, but she secretly enjoyed the sensation. After all, how often did a spinster of her shelf life get manhandled by an earl of Lord Maccon's peerage? She had better take advantage of the situation.”
― Gail Carriger, Soulless

“In this particular instance, he stroked her hand fondly. There was no attraction in the movement. "Sweetling," he had once said, "you are at no more risk with me in that regard than you are in danger of me unexpectedly biting you--both being equal impossibilities. In the one case, I do not possess the necessary equipment upon contact, in the other case you do not.”
― Gail Carriger, Soulless

“He is clearly bookish. I did not follow a single word of their conversation at dinner last night, not one jot of it. He must be bookish.”
― Gail Carriger, Soulless

“He was so very large and so very gruff that he rather terrified her, but he always behaved correctly in public, and there was a lot to be said for a man who sported such well-tailored jackets---even if he did change into a ferocious beast once a month.”
― Gail Carriger, Soulless

“Highland werewolves had a reputation for doing atrocious and highly unwarranted *things*, like wearing smoking jackets to the dinner table.”
― Gail Carriger, Soulless

“I suspect it may be like the difference between a drinker and an alcoholic; the one merely reads books, the other needs books to make it through the day."

(Interview with The Booklovers blog, September 2010)”
― Gail Carriger

“You are about as covert as a sledgehammer.”
― Gail Carriger, Soulless

“I have died and gone to the land of bad novels.”
― Gail Carriger, Blameless

“Lord Maccon was built like a brick outhouse, with opinions twice as unmoving and often equally full of crap.”
― Gail Carriger, Blameless

“Lyall understood a broken heart, but it could not be allowed to rumple perfectly good shirtwaists.”
― Gail Carriger, Blameless

“His eyes are peculiar. There is nothing in them, like an eclair without the cream filling. It's wrong, lack of cream.”
― Gail Carriger, Blameless

“Madame Lefoux shrugged. "I do not know about that, my lady. I mean to say, one's life is one thing; one's technology is an entirely different matter.”
― Gail Carriger

“Ivy waved the wet handkerchief, as much as to say, words cannot possibly articulate my profound distress. Then, because Ivy never settled for meaningful gestures when verbal embellishments could compound the effect, she said, "Words cannot possibly articulate my profound distress.”
― Gail Carriger, Changeless

“Lord Maccon asked meekly, shifting against her in a manner that ensured she realized the nibbling had affected his outsides just as much as her insides. Alexia was partly shocked, partly intrigued by the idea that as he was naked, she might actually get to see what he looked like. She had seen sketches of the nude male, of course, for purely technical purposes. She was given to wonder if werewolves were anatomically bigger in certain areas.”
― Gail Carriger, Soulless

“I am rather fond of ladybugs. They are so delightfully hemispherical.”
― Gail Carriger, Blameless

“No, Lord Maccon was riproaring, tumble down, without a doubt, pickled beyond the gherkin.”
― Gail Carriger, Blameless

“I believe the defining moment was when certain persons, who shall remain nameless, objected to my fuchsia silk striped waistcoat. I loved that waistcoat. I put my foot down, right then and there; I do not mind telling you!" To punctuate his deeply offended feelings, he stamped one silver-and-pearl-decorated high heel firmly. "No one tells me what I can and cannot wear!" He snapped up a lace fan from where it lay on a hall table and fanned himself vigorously with it for emphasis.”
― Gail Carriger, Soulless

“She filed the image away as an excellent and insulting question to ask the earl at an utterly inappropriate future moment.”
― Gail Carriger, Soulless

“So, what do you think, my dear, will it be a girl or a boy?”
“It will be a soul-stealer, apparently.”
“What!” The earl reared away from his wife and looked down at her suspiciously.”
― Gail Carriger, Blameless

“Oh, Herbert," she said pleadingly to her silent husband, "you must make him marry her! Call for the parson immediately! Look at them... they are...," she sputtered, "canoodling!”
― Gail Carriger, Soulless