The Betrayers Quotes

“This is what I discovered during my imprisonment. I saw the human character in its naked form. I saw at one end a narrow rank of villainy, and at the other a narrow rank of virtue. In the middle was everyone else. And I understood that the state of the world is the result of the struggle between these two extremes.”
― David Bezmozgis, The Betrayers

“—I would say that one walks hand in hand with fate. Fate pulls in one direction, you pull in the other. You follow fate; fate follows you. And it is not always possible to say who is leading whom.”
― David Bezmozgis, The Betrayers

“A measure of earth under your feet that you could call your own. Was there a more primitive concept? But nobody lives in the ether.”
― David Bezmozgis, The Betrayers

“returned with my parents, who acted as my guides. In fact, my experience and Kotler’s are very different in that he was not only a boy in the former Soviet Union but grew to adulthood there, studied there, worked there, and ultimately was imprisoned there. So his frame of reference, not only for Crimea, but for the country as a whole, is substantially different from mine. My experience of returning to Latvia was one of actively trying to remember something, to tease out some memory of my life there. But what is common between my experience of Latvia and Kotler’s of Crimea is that both trips were taken in the summer and they were both to the seashore. When I returned, it was to the resort town of Jurmala on the Bay of Riga, where my family and I used to spend our summers. A few of those impressions filtered into the novel.”
― David Bezmozgis, The Betrayers

“Weizmann, Ben-Gurion, Jabotinsky, Trumpeldor. For them the Bible was more a source of poetry and ancestral lore and less a guidebook for keeping house. But their example was waning. For Miriam and Benzion, the poetry and the lore were inextricable from the housekeeping. It was divine, which meant all or nothing. It was holy scripture, not a document to prove hereditary land claims. Which was very well. This line of thinking had always existed and there was space for it. But, increasingly, it left less and less space for anything else.”
― David Bezmozgis, The Betrayers

“It was clear that Kotler was expected to grant this absolution even though Tankilevich offered no repentance. But why should he? Since Tankilevich was in need, since he was in the subordinate position, he must be the injured party. And since Kotler was in the dominant position, since the power now rested in his hands, it was mean and petty of him to demand repentance, an admission of guilt. After all, guilt and innocence were not fixed marks. There were extenuating circumstances. Wasn’t this the governing logic of the times? That cause and effect could not be easily disambiguated? That all was up for revision and nobody durst speak of an absolute truth? By this logic, in granting absolution, Kotler would be remediating a wrong. A wrong he had perpetuated by virtue of holding power. Saying I forgive you, he would actually be saying Please forgive me. Or, at least, Please forgive me for not forgiving you sooner.”
― David Bezmozgis, The Betrayers

“But who knows how long it takes a prayer to reach God’s ears? And how long for Him to respond? When I was in prison, I asked Him to grant me the satisfaction of facing my tormentors as a free man. That was a long time ago. But perhaps a prayer is like a radio signal, flying through space until it finds its mark. And the answer arrives not when you want it but when it suits God, when you have long since stopped waiting for it. —Well, what is to say He hasn’t answered both our prayers? —I think that would be quite a feat, even for God. The trill of Kotler’s cell phone sounded. He fished the device out of his pocket and inspected the name on the screen. —It’s my son, Kotler said. Excuse me.”
― David Bezmozgis, The Betrayers

“Sooner or later, the realization arrives: the child discovers the immaturity of the parent, and the parent the maturity of his child.”
― David Bezmozgis, The Betrayers

“Man is a physical being who requires physical space. And his nature is a prejudicial nature of alike and unalike. That was the history of the world. How”
― David Bezmozgis, The Betrayers

“If you think there’s no choice, look harder. There is always a choice. A third way, if not a fourth. Whether we have the strength to make those choices is another matter. Of which I am no less guilty than anyone else.”
― David Bezmozgis, The Betrayers

“If you or the people you represent think that I can be intimidated by this sort of KGB thuggery, you are mistaken. —Mr. Kotler, I didn’t expect you to say otherwise. In fact, I confess that I would have been disappointed if you had. But since your opposition will not materially change the outcome, I ask why you should martyr yourself in vain? —Now we’re speaking of martyring? —Believe me, this gives me no pleasure. —Mr. Amnon, the KGB read from the same script. —The truth is, I am trying to protect you. —Line for line. At this, Amnon let his hand fall upon the envelope that he’d rested in his lap. —No pleasure at all, he said. —Let’s try without the theatrics, Kotler said. Amnon smiled ruefully and tapped the”
― David Bezmozgis, The Betrayers

“—Call it curiosity. Call it instinct. And I am a man who has followed his instincts. —I thought it was principles. —In my experience, they’re one and the same.”
― David Bezmozgis, The Betrayers