Legion Quotes

“Would you like to hear a nice definition of jealousy? It's the feeling that you get when someone you absolutely detest is having a wonderful time without you.”
― William Peter Blatty, Legion

“Every man that ever lived craved perfect happiness, the detective poignantly reflected. But how can we have it when we know we’re going to die? Each joy was clouded by the knowledge it would end. And so nature had implanted in us a desire for something unattainable? No. It couldn’t be. It makes no sense. Every other striving implanted by nature had a corresponding object that wasn’t a phantom. Why this exception? the detective reasoned. It was nature making hunger when there wasn’t any food. We continue. We go on. Thus death proved life.”
― William Peter Blatty, Legion

“Something else," he told Atkins. He stood with his nose an inch away from the sergeant's, hands stuffed deep in the pockets of his coat. "What does Lucifer mean?"
"Light Bearer."
"And what is the stuff of the universe?"
"Energy."
"What is energy's commonest form?"
"Light."
"I know." And with that, the detective walked away, listing slowly through the squad room and down the stairs. He didn't come back.”
― William Peter Blatty, Legion

“He thought of death in its infinite groanings, of Aztecs ripping out living hearts and of cancer and three-year-olds buried alive and he wondered whether God was alien and cruel, but then remembered Beethoven and the dappling of things and “Hurrah for Karamazov” and kindness. He”
― William Peter Blatty, Legion

“Jesus asked the man his name, and he answered, “Legion, for we are many.” Mark 5:9”
― William Peter Blatty, Legion

“We have every indication that he died of fright.”
― William Peter Blatty, Legion

“God was alien and cruel,”
― William Peter Blatty, Legion

“Bill, the point is that right in the middle of this horror there's a creature called man who can see that it's horrible. So where do we come up with these notions like 'evil' and 'cruel' and 'unjust'? You can't say a line looks a little bit crooked unless you've got a notion of a line that's straight.”
― William Peter Blatty, Legion

“He thought of death in its infinite groanings, of Aztecs ripping out living hearts and of cancer and three-year-olds buried alive and he wondered whether God was alien and cruel, but then remembered Beethoven and the dappling of things and “Hurrah for Karamazov” and kindness.”
― William Peter Blatty, Legion

“I’m not saying I’m against evolution. It’s okay. Here’s the story on reptiles, however. Think this over. They come up on”
― William Peter Blatty, Legion

“drunk right now, Amfortas suspected, or high on amphetamine,”
― William Peter Blatty, Legion

“Yes, I think so. A sign of the zodiac. I think Gemini.”
― William Peter Blatty, Legion

“That you ever existed is a thought that gives me shelter; that men could make you up is a thought that gives me hope; and the thought that you might exist even now would give me safety and a gladness that I could not contain.”
― William Peter Blatty, Legion

“Something else, something little that I thought I might share with you. Would you mind? What’s to mind? I’m just talking. On the boat, when the disciples see you standing on the shore and then they realize that it’s you and that you’ve risen from the dead? Peter’s standing on the deck in the total altogether. So why not? He’s a fisherman, he’s young, he should enjoy. But right away he can’t wait for the boat to go in, he’s so excited, so beside himself with joy that it’s you. So he grabs the nearest garment—do you remember this?—but he doesn’t even want to take the time to pull it on. He just ties it around and jumps off the boat and then starts swimming like crazy for the shore. Is that something? Whenever I think of it, I glow! It isn’t some goyischer holy picture full of reverence and stiffness and probably lies; it isn’t some image being peddled, some myth. I can’t believe it didn’t happen. It’s so human, so surprising, and so real all at once. Peter must have loved you very much.”
― William Peter Blatty, Legion

“Prime Neuron Untriggered? First Decider Undecided?”
― William Peter Blatty, Legion

“you do unto the least of these, my little ones, you do unto Me,’ ” he paraphrased.”
― William Peter Blatty, Legion

“funeral,” he said. “I just saw him. He is here in this ward in a”
― William Peter Blatty, Legion

“Yes, of course,” said Kinderman. “It’s very strange. But then it leaves us”
― William Peter Blatty, Legion

“active catatonics. Among”
― William Peter Blatty, Legion

“You’re a very strange man,” said Amfortas.”
― William Peter Blatty, Legion

“carrot-and-stick reinforcement’ the behaviorists are telling us is needed for this bird to carry out these operations, thirteen different types of construction jobs? B. F. Skinner did a very good thing: in World War”
― William Peter Blatty, Legion

“much for tea time and pleasantries. Who are you? What is it that you want from us? To suffer like you did on the cross? Well, we’re doing it.”
― William Peter Blatty, Legion

“the meantime, I don’t know who you are, but you”
― William Peter Blatty, Legion

“looked up at the crucifix over the altar, and slowly his expression grew hard and demanding. What’s your part in this monkey business? Will you answer? Do you want to call a lawyer? Shall I read you your rights? Take it easy. I’m your friend. I can get you protection. Just answer me a few little questions, all right?”
― William Peter Blatty, Legion

“all-good, like the vain, capricious, cruel God of Job? With all of eternity at His disposal, what fiendish new tortures might He not devise? A limited”
― William Peter Blatty, Legion

“the shaven head and the man in white pants and the black woolen”
― William Peter Blatty, Legion

“this making you nauseous a little?”
― William Peter Blatty, Legion

“One more thing about evolution. They keep saying that it’s chance, all chance, and that it’s simple. Billions of fish kept”
― William Peter Blatty, Legion

“That’s right. He was smacking his lips a little, that’s all.” “He was smacking his lips a little?” “Well, yes.” Kinderman”
― William Peter Blatty, Legion

“Was the universe eternal?”
― William Peter Blatty, Legion