The Jerusalem Quartet Quotes

“Munk Szondi used his unique knowledge of Levantine commodities to make money. According to the rules of the game, anything of value could be used in the betting. Thus when a pile of Maria Theresa crowns and chits representing Egyptian dried fish futures were on the table, Szondi would overplay his hand simply to get the fish. For Szondi invariably knew that Persian dinars were due to weaken in the next few days in relation to dried fish, and that a handsome profit would be his if he discounted the Maria Theresa crowns in Damascus, doubled the value of his fish futures by buying dinars on the margin in Beirut, sold a quarter and a third of each in Baghdad as a hedge against customs interference on the Persian border, and then saw to it that his courier with the fish futures arrived in Isfahan on Friday, a market day, when the fish futures would be most in demand.”
― Edward Whittemore, The Jerusalem Quartet

“I ask you, what do I have to hide? The fact that I’m not half the man I wanted to be? The fact that these little pieces of wisdom I string together add up to not much at all?”
― Edward Whittemore, The Jerusalem Quartet

“In the end nothing could be said of his work except that it was preposterous and true and totally unacceptable.”
― Edward Whittemore, The Jerusalem Quartet