The Italian Girl Quotes

“Odd I should have said those words before and forgotten them. It makes one feel that human beings are just machines after all.”
― Iris Murdoch, The Italian Girl: A Novel

“And do stop sneezing. It annoys me so much when people sneeze.”
― Iris Murdoch, The Italian Girl: A Novel

“I can see this so clearly because I have long ago given up my own hopes of being happy.”
― Iris Murdoch, The Italian Girl: A Novel

“She tells so many different stories and they are all false.”
― Iris Murdoch, The Italian Girl: A Novel

“Why did I lie. Well, why should I tell the truth, such a truth, to anyone who asks? Why should I wear such a story always round my neck and be such a figure to the world? And oh, there were worse things, worse than she said. I did not want to be a tragic man, to be the suffering one. I wanted to be light, to be new, to be free–”
― Iris Murdoch, The Italian Girl

“Can you see that cat?’
‘Yes, of course.’
‘Well, until lately I couldn’t have seen it at all. Now it exists, it’s there, and while it’s there I’m not, I just see it and let it be. Do you remember that bit in the Ancient Mariner where he sees the water snakes? “Oh happy living things, no tongue their beauty might declare!” That’s what it’s like, suddenly to be able to see the world and to love it, to be let out of oneself –”
― Iris Murdoch, The Italian Girl

“To be good is just never to lose it. How does evil begin in a life? How can it begin? Yet we were there once.”
― Iris Murdoch, The Italian Girl

“You know as well as I do that one can be imprisoned in one’s mind.”
― Iris Murdoch, The Italian Girl

“I think Otto will be rather relieved to be certain that you know. He doesn't enjoy deception." I choose the words carefully. "He hasn't the least objection to deception. He just doesn't like the process of being found out. It's bad for his nerves”
― Iris Murdoch, The Italian Girl

“But you are metaphysical, Otto. You ought to think about her in more simple terms.”
― Iris Murdoch, The Italian Girl: A Novel

“Every night is an imitation of death. Without that I would have killed myself long ago.’ She”
― Iris Murdoch, The Italian Girl: A Novel

“Not everyone can have that thing, freedom, and not be ruined by it.”
― Iris Murdoch, The Italian Girl