The Hanging Girl Quotes

“And if you didn't like the situation you were stuck in, there was always the option of running away from yourself: running away from opinions, from your marriage, from your country, from old values, from trends that had otherwise meant so much yesterday. The problem was just that out there, among all the new, you found nothing of what you were looking for deep down inside, because tomorrow it would all be meaningless again. It had become an eternal and fruitless hunt for your own shadow, and that was pitiful.”
― Jussi Adler-Olsen, The Hanging Girl

“Are you actually aware why there are camels in the desert and no giraffes?' asked Assad.
... 'The answer is simple. If there were giraffes in the desert they'd die of sorrow.'
'Aha! And why's that?'
'Because they're so tall, they'd know that there was just endless sand as far as the eye could see. Fortunately for the camel, it doesn't know this, so it trudges on assuming that an oasis is just around the corner.'
Carl nodded. 'I understand. You feel like a giraffe in the desert, right?'
'Yes, a bit. Just right now.”
― Jussi Adler-Olsen, The Hanging Girl

“Parents were people you could choose to deal with or ignore as you pleased.”
― Jussi Adler-Olsen, The Hanging Girl

“Gordon’s face had the usual appearance of a slapped ass.”
― Jussi Adler-Olsen, The Hanging Girl

“He bent spoons? What a weird thing to do,’ Assad added. It was evident that if he’d been gifted with supernatural powers like that, he wouldn’t start by massacring the spoons in the cutlery drawer.”
― Jussi Adler-Olsen, The Hanging Girl

“Carl looked around. If it hadn’t been for the squint kippah and the seven-armed candlestick, he never would’ve imagined this to be an Orthodox Jewish home. Mostly because he didn’t have a clue what an Orthodox Jewish home tended to look like.”
― Jussi Adler-Olsen, The Hanging Girl

“He lit the cigarette and tilted his neck back. It was only one thirty. Far too early to have used up his daily ration of cigarettes, which meant he should probably increase it.”
― Jussi Adler-Olsen, The Hanging Girl

“The”
― Jussi Adler-Olsen, The Hanging Girl

“The time they lived in was an open invitation to a cocktail of self-denial and self-glorification. And if you didn’t like the situation you were stuck in, there was always the option of running away from yourself: running away from opinions, from your marriage, from your country, from old values, from trends that had otherwise meant so much yesterday. The problem was just that out there, among all the new, you found nothing of what you were looking for deep down inside, because tomorrow it would all be meaningless again. It had become an eternal and fruitless hunt for your own shadow, and that was pitiful.”
― Jussi Adler-Olsen, The Hanging Girl

“He opened the lock while the dogs began to growl at Assad. ‘They’re not used to dark skin.’ ‘No problem. I’ve got them under control,’ answered Assad, at which the dominant dog lunged towards him ready to bite. Carl jumped to the side but Assad stood his ground and that very second, as the gardener tried to stop the beast, he let out an infernal yell that made both dogs sink to their knees like puppies and piss themselves like they’d never pissed before. ‘That’s it,’ said Assad, slapping himself on the thigh and calling the dogs to heel. When they crept over to him and let him pet them, both the gardener and Carl stood speechless, watching. ‘Where did I get to?’ said Assad, the dogs on either side of him, as if they’d found a new master. ‘Yes, we need a little assistance. Firstly, we need to buy something or other that can help me sleep.’ Carl couldn’t believe his own ears. If Assad slept any deeper than he had in the hotel in Rønne, he’d damn well never wake up again. ‘And then we need something that can revitalize my friend here. Afterwards, we’d like to ask you a couple of questions, if that’s OK with you.’ The ID card never materialized from Carl’s pocket.”
― Jussi Adler-Olsen, The Hanging Girl

“Just a moment.’ Assad disappeared out the door, and Carl stared at the cup. The combination of words like ‘libido’ and ‘Mona’ made him suddenly thirsty. A little sip couldn’t hurt. He felt the steam and the smell of distant, exotic coasts and dived in. He thought it tasted rather good until the effect kicked in. The combination of neck arteries suddenly opening, oesophagus collapsing, vocal cords scratching like hell and not being able to feel his uvula all made him instinctively grab his throat with one hand and support himself on the edge of the table with the other. If there’d been acid in the cup, it wouldn’t have felt much different. He wanted to swear but not a word came out, only tears and saliva from the corners of his mouth, and he had an unusually keen desire for revenge and ice-cold water by the bucketload. ‘What’s wrong, Carl?’ asked Assad as he came in with the report. ‘Was there too much ginger?”
― Jussi Adler-Olsen, The Hanging Girl

“How was it in any way possible to defend himself against the words of a dead man?”
― Jussi Adler-Olsen, The Hanging Girl

“He was struck by the realisation that people couldn't run from themselves, regardless of where they were. The feeling that you always carried the past with you, and that it was only yourself that could be held responsible for who you were.”
― Jussi Adler-Olsen, The Hanging Girl

“Han tente sigaretten og la hodet bakover. Klokken var bare halv to, litt tidlig å ha brukt opp dagens røykerasjon, så kanskje han like godt skulle se å oppgradere den.”
― Jussi Adler-Olsen, The Hanging Girl

“Carl sank tilbake i setet og nikket takknemlig til Assad, som raskt var i ferd med å skifte ansiktsfarge fra Midt-Østens gylne teint til noe mer grønnaktig. Stakkars mann, men hva annet var det å vente av en som ble sjøsyk på en bademadrass i et svømmebasseng?”
― Jussi Adler-Olsen, The Hanging Girl

“«Jeg er ikke så glad i båttur,» sa han lavere enn godt var. «Det er spyposer på toalettene,» kom det tørt fra Rose mens hun tok opp Politikens «Turen går til Bornholm»-guide. Assad ristet på hodet. «Nei, nei, det går bra. Jeg har bestemt det.» Aldri et kjedelig øyeblikk med de to.”
― Jussi Adler-Olsen, The Hanging Girl

“«Jaha. Og hva er min plass oppi alt dette her, om jeg tør spørre?» spurte Carl. «Du er selvfølgelig bossen som alltid, Carl,» lo Assad. Bossen! Hadde ordet fått en helt ny definisjon?”
― Jussi Adler-Olsen, The Hanging Girl

“«Du er ikke så dum som du ser ut du, Carl Mørck, men det skal jo litt til også.”
― Jussi Adler-Olsen, The Hanging Girl

“Assad nikket. «Der jeg kommer fra, de sier at når ingenting hjelper, man rir kamelen på den femte måten.» Carl ristet på hodet. Han var ikke sikker på om han ville høre hva den femte ridemåten gikk ut på, eller de fire første for den saks skyld.”
― Jussi Adler-Olsen, The Hanging Girl

“Hun stirret litt ut i luften med blikket sløret av grå stær, så smilte hun plutselig. «Ok, da spør jeg om den nye pleieren har lyst til å massere musa mi så jeg blir helt salig.» Og jammen begynte pendelen å gå som bare det. Jukset hun eller hva?”
― Jussi Adler-Olsen, The Hanging Girl

“In this area, people watched reality shows and awful quiz shows, gorging themselves on junk food and moving further and further away from the opportunities that a good education or realistic ambitions could provide.”
― Jussi Adler-Olsen, The Hanging Girl

“and now the past stalked about like a purposeless stray animal among heaps of rubbish and junk that no one wanted.”
― Jussi Adler-Olsen, The Hanging Girl