La Tigresse Quotes

“In August they had a bad fright. Her lawyer had suggested that—in view of the circumstances—they drop the divorce. This filled them both with profound dread; at the thought of staying married, of sinking back into the deadly boredom of their pre-divorce days, they felt nothing but horror. They realized more than ever that marriage for them was unthinkable.”
― Bel Kaufman, La Tigresse: And Other Short Stories

“After the prescribed length of time and number of meals consumed and digested in unison, they felt they had sufficient community of interests to marry.”
― Bel Kaufman, La Tigresse: And Other Short Stories

“Kaufman learned English only after her arrival in New York City. At twelve years of age, she was enrolled in the first grade of public school because of her lack of knowledge of English. With the help of a sympathetic teacher, she soon caught up and flourished. After a year at New York University, Kaufman was admitted to Hunter College in New York City and graduated magna cum laude three and a half years later. She then obtained a master’s degree in literature from Columbia University, graduating with high honors.”
― Bel Kaufman, La Tigresse: And Other Short Stories

“Bel Kaufman (1911–2014) was a writer, teacher, and lecturer best known for her classic, bestselling novel Up the Down Staircase (1965).”
― Bel Kaufman, La Tigresse: And Other Short Stories

“Lady stand on line before me, speak English so good, like genius, in America only four years, I ashamed tell twenty-two years; I tell twenty!” To class she went only once. “I don’t go back,” she said emphatically. “Too foolish book, Dick and Jane.” She shrugged disdainfully. “Not Tolstoi!”
― Bel Kaufman, La Tigresse: And Other Short Stories

“And if this wasn’t the happiness she had once so fiercely demanded, at least she had come to terms with life. That was probably as close to happiness as you could get.”
― Bel Kaufman, La Tigresse: And Other Short Stories

“Funny, how once you touched off a memory, it was like pulling out a stitch—all the others kept unraveling”
― Bel Kaufman, La Tigresse: And Other Short Stories

“Mr. Philpotts, did you enjoy your life?” “Why, no, I wouldn’t say—” “How then,” asked the chief, “do you expect to enjoy your afterlife? What do you know of happiness? What experience have you had in that line?”
― Bel Kaufman, La Tigresse: And Other Short Stories

“I haven’t seen her since. I wrote to her a few times, not really expecting an answer, for—as she often used to say—the tongue is longer than the pen and can lead you straight to Kiev.”
― Bel Kaufman, La Tigresse: And Other Short Stories

“Maybe you don’t want divorce?” Varya asked slowly. “Maybe you only talk, talk, talk divorce?” “Oh, mother,” Nancy-Anastasia said. “Aha!” Varya pointed a finger at her daughter. “Na vore shapka goreet! Means: on thief . . .” “On a thief the hat burns,” I said.”
― Bel Kaufman, La Tigresse: And Other Short Stories

“An Emergency Tea was called.”
― Bel Kaufman, La Tigresse: And Other Short Stories

“Your blouse is whitening on the chair and your parrot Flaubert weeps in French: she left him, and he is sorry.”
― Bel Kaufman, La Tigresse: And Other Short Stories

“Do not weep, do not weep, my little wife: song of hope and encouragement in marriage.”
― Bel Kaufman, La Tigresse: And Other Short Stories

“Your fingers smell of incense—a lover sings to the corpse of his dead sweetheart.”
― Bel Kaufman, La Tigresse: And Other Short Stories

“Is Rrawssian saying: ‘Better small fish than big cockroach.’ Some hawsband drrunk, some hawsband play all time cards, some hawsband fleert with woman. . . . Rrogov make only with brread.”
― Bel Kaufman, La Tigresse: And Other Short Stories

“That I was a writer was further proof of God’s far-sightedness; she was convinced that by some magic of propinquity she would acquire a mastery of the English language.”
― Bel Kaufman, La Tigresse: And Other Short Stories

“Her disappointment was minor compared to her astonishment. “Again I didn’t win? But last year I didn’t win also!”
― Bel Kaufman, La Tigresse: And Other Short Stories

“and off she’d go—in search of a bargain: a lamp disguised as a nude figure, a rhinestone tiara, or a hand-painted parasol, for the “rainy season.”
― Bel Kaufman, La Tigresse: And Other Short Stories

“A life to live is not a field to cross; yet, somehow, in her chaotic way, Varya was able to keep the house going.”
― Bel Kaufman, La Tigresse: And Other Short Stories

“A man couldn’t jump higher than himself, she pointed out to me. And he couldn’t help it if he was a “zoodnik”; one so annoying, he made you itch.”
― Bel Kaufman, La Tigresse: And Other Short Stories

“She wore no make-up, and her small, tense face looked chronically embarrassed, as if it got attached by mistake to the wrong person.”
― Bel Kaufman, La Tigresse: And Other Short Stories

“Why you don’t cut whiskers? Is Rrawshian saying: ‘The beard is honor, but whiskers even a cat has!’ ” “Oh, mother,” Nancy-Anastasia would shrug helplessly.”
― Bel Kaufman, La Tigresse: And Other Short Stories

“As for Walter—he was a man constantly beset by tiny pinpricks of fate.”
― Bel Kaufman, La Tigresse: And Other Short Stories

“Shortly after my arrival, I discovered that Nancy-Anastasia and poor Walter were also living in the house, in a ground floor room, in order to save money for their divorce. “They’re living together?” I asked. “Is Okay. Is Rrawshian saying: ‘Not everybody who snore is sleeping.”
― Bel Kaufman, La Tigresse: And Other Short Stories

“Apparently this r had to be worked for: Varya told me that as a child she couldn’t pronounce it properly, and that her father would make her repeat a series of exercises about gorgeous grapes growing on Mount Ararat and three hundred thirty-three drummers drumming on three hundred thirty-three drums.”
― Bel Kaufman, La Tigresse: And Other Short Stories

“Wrrite, wrrite, Lapochka, why you don’t wrrite?” and assure me that a horse, even with four legs, stumbles. I found it difficult to explain to her what I was writing. “It’s about Colley Cibber,” I said. “He was an actor, playwright and poet.” “Also poet?” Varya asked suspiciously. “Who he? Pushkin?”
― Bel Kaufman, La Tigresse: And Other Short Stories

“They both looked questioningly at Mr. Rogov. He slowly removed his pince-nez, cleared his throat, and translated: “Do not in not your own sled sit.” “I get it,” Mr. Martin chuckled good-naturedly, “You mean it’s none of my business.”
― Bel Kaufman, La Tigresse: And Other Short Stories

“He glanced at me as if he knew more than he cared to say and realized the absurdity of communication, acknowledged the introduction with a courtly bow, and continued his search for misprints.”
― Bel Kaufman, La Tigresse: And Other Short Stories

“Then, aware once more of her obligation, she asked politely: “You only wrriter, or your work also?” “I hope to teach English one day.”
― Bel Kaufman, La Tigresse: And Other Short Stories

“Smart,” Varya said. “Lyubov ne kartoshka; ne vikinesh v okoshko. Means: love is not potato; can not throw out of window. Means: with love you stawck. Look on Nancy-Anastasia. My daughter. Beautiful? Yes. Happy? No. She and hawsband wait only divorce.”
― Bel Kaufman, La Tigresse: And Other Short Stories