The Life We Bury Quotes

“no one can change the sound of an echo.”
― Allen Eskens, The Life We Bury

“We are surrounded every day by the wonders of life, wonders beyond comprehension that we simply take for granted. I decided that day that I would live my life—not simply exist. If I died and discovered heaven on the other side, well, that'd be just fine and dandy. But if I didn't live my life as if I was already in heaven, and I died and found only nothingness, well…I would have wasted my life. I would have wasted my one chance in all of history to be alive.” Carl”
― Allen Eskens, The Life We Bury

“What if I was wrong? What if there was no other side. What if, in all the eons of eternity, this was the one and only time that I would be alive. How would I live my life if that were the case?”
― Allen Eskens, The Life We Bury

“That you understand how wrong it is to judge someone before you know their whole story.”
― Allen Eskens, The Life We Bury

“What if there was no other side. What if, in all the eons of eternity, this was the one and only time that I would be alive. How would I live my life if that were the case? Know what I mean? What if this was all there is?” “Well, I guess there'd be a lot of disappointed dead priests,” I said. Carl chuckled. “Well, there's that,” he said. “But it also means that this is our heaven. We are surrounded every day by the wonders of life, wonders beyond comprehension that we simply take for granted. I decided that day that I would live my life—not simply exist. If I died and discovered heaven on the other side, well, that'd be just fine and dandy. But if I didn't live my life as if I was already in heaven, and I died and found only nothingness, well… I would have wasted my life. I would have wasted my one chance in all of history to be alive.”
― Allen Eskens, The Life We Bury

“she knew who my mother was and figured that no one can change the sound of an echo.”
― Allen Eskens, The Life We Bury

“she lived her life with her fingers in her ears, as though the truth would not exist if she never heard the words spoken aloud.”
― Allen Eskens, The Life We Bury

“He was a quiet man who could command attention with a simple glance or nod, a man who possessed equal part strength and gentleness and wore them, not in layers, but blended like fine leather.”
― Allen Eskens, The Life We Bury

“Tufts of hair stuck out of my head in all directions, like I’d been cow-licked by a drunken heifer.”
― Allen Eskens, The Life We Bury

“do you know what a dying declaration is?” I didn't, although I gave it a shot. “It's a declaration made by someone who is dying?” “It is a term of law,” he said. “If a man whispers the name of his killer and then dies, it's considered good evidence because there's a belief—an understanding—that a person who is dying would not want to die with a lie upon his lips. No sin could be greater than a sin that cannot be rectified, the sin you never get to confess.”
― Allen Eskens, The Life We Bury

“No matter how hard you try, there are some things you just can't run away from.”
― Allen Eskens, The Life We Bury

“No sin could be greater than a sin that cannot be rectified, the sin you never get to confess.”
― Allen Eskens, The Life We Bury

“I drew in a breath of crisp December air and stood perfectly still, savoring the feel, the sound, and the smell of the world around me, sensations that would have passed by me unnoticed had I never met Carl Iverson.”
― Allen Eskens, The Life We Bury

“Add to that cauldron an ever increasing measure of cheap vodka--a form of self-medication that quelled the inner scream but amplified the outer crazy--and you get a picture of the mother I left behind.”
― Allen Eskens, The Life We Bury

“But we do have control of how much of our soul we leave behind in this mess. Don't ever forget that. We do still have some choices.”
― Allen Eskens, The Life We Bury

“What if, in all the eons of enternity, this was the one and only time that I would be alive. How would I live my life if that were the case? Know what I mean? What if this was all there is?"
"Well, I guess there'd be a lot of disappointed dead priests," I said.
Carl chuckled. "Well, there that," he said. "But it also means that this is our heaven. We are surrounded every day by the wonders of life, wonders beyond comprehension that we simply take for granted. I decided that day that I would live my life-not simply exist. If I died and discovered heaven on the other side, whell, that'd be just fine and dandy. But if I didn't live my life as if I was already in heave, and I died and found only nothingness, well...I would have wasted my life. I would have wasted my one chance in all of history to be alive.”
― Allen Eskens, The Life We Bury

“Of course that diagnosis was never made official because my mother refused to get professional help. Instead, she lived her life with her fingers in her ears, as though the truth would not exist if she never heard the words spoken aloud. Add to that cauldron an ever increasing measure of cheap vodka—a form of self-medication that quelled the inner scream but amplified the outer crazy—and you get a picture of the mother I left behind. She”
― Allen Eskens, The Life We Bury

“Occam's razor?” “It's a principle that says that all things being equal, the simplest conclusion is usually the correct one.”
― Allen Eskens, The Life We Bury

“The archive room had the feel of a tabernacle, with millions of souls packed away on microfilm like incense in tiny jars, waiting for someone to free their essence to be felt, tasted, inhaled again, if only for a moment.”
― Allen Eskens, The Life We Bury

“philosopher named Blaise Pascal said that if you have a choice of believing in God or not believing in God, it's a better gamble to believe. Because if you believe in God and you're wrong—well, nothing happens. You just die into the nothingness of the universe. But if you don't believe in God and you're wrong, then you go to hell for eternity, at least according to some folks.” “Not much of a reason to be religious,” I said. “Not much at all,” he said. “I was surrounded by hundreds of men waiting for the end of their lives, waiting for that something better that comes after death. I felt the same way. I wanted to believe there was something better on the other side. I was killing time in prison, waiting for that crossover. And that's when Pascal's gambit popped into my head, but with a small twist. What if I was wrong? What if there was no other side. What if, in all the eons of eternity, this was the one and only time that I would be alive. How would I live my life if that were the case? Know what I mean? What if this was all there is?” “Well, I guess there'd be a lot of disappointed dead priests,” I said. Carl chuckled. “Well, there's that,” he said. “But it also means that this is our heaven. We are surrounded every day by the wonders of life, wonders beyond comprehension that we simply take for granted. I decided that day that I would live my life—not simply exist. If I died and discovered heaven on the other side, well, that'd be just fine and dandy. But if I didn't live my life as if I was already in heaven, and I died and found only nothingness, well…I would have wasted my life. I would have wasted my one chance in all of history to be alive.”
― Allen Eskens, The Life We Bury

“This philosopher named Blaise Pascal said that if you have a choice of believing in God or not believing in God, it's a better gamble to believe. Because if you believe in God and you're wrong—well, nothing happens. You just die into the nothingness of the universe. But if you don't believe in God and you're wrong, then you go to hell for eternity, at least according to some folks.”
― Allen Eskens, The Life We Bury

“I swore that when I grew up and got my own apartment, I would get one that smelled of old wood, not old cats.”
― Allen Eskens, The Life We Bury

“What was the stepdad like?” Lila asked. “A real wing nut,” Andrew said. “He used to act all religious”
― Allen Eskens, The Life We Bury

“After I turned the assignment in to my instructor”
― Allen Eskens, The Life We Bury

“Pedophiles are the monsters walking among us. Murderers”
― Allen Eskens, The Life We Bury

“Hes a pedophile”
― Allen Eskens, The Life We Bury

“If a man whispers the name of his killer and then dies”
― Allen Eskens, The Life We Bury

“windshield. A young couple entered the restaurant”
― Allen Eskens, The Life We Bury

“Once we were alone”
― Allen Eskens, The Life We Bury

“I didnt actually talk to her,” she said. “I thought it might be that cop again”
― Allen Eskens, The Life We Bury