The House of the Scorpion Quotes

“I always say the truth is best even when we find it unpleasant. Any rat in a sewer can lie. It's how rats are. It's what makes them rats. But a human doesn't run and hide in dark places, because he's something more. Lying is the most personal act of cowardice there is.”
― Nancy Farmer, The House of the Scorpion

“I love you," Matt said.
I love you, too," Maria replied. "I know that's a sin, and I'll probably go to hell for it."
If I have a soul, I'll go with you," promised Matt.”
― Nancy Farmer, The House of the Scorpion

“People’s souls are like gardens. You can’t turn your back on someone because his garden’s full of weeds. You have to give him water and lots of sunshine.”
― Nancy Farmer, The House of the Scorpion

“He has his good side and his bad side. Very dark indeed is his majesty when he wants to be. When he was young, he made a choice, like a tree does when it decides to grow one way or the other. He grew large and green until he shadowed over the whole forest, but most of his branches are twisted.”
― Nancy Farmer, The House of the Scorpion

“Slow people are just paying close attention.”
― Nancy Farmer, The House of the Scorpion

“After all, what is suffering but an awareness of suffering?”
― Nancy Farmer, The House of the Scorpion

“Patience and love can do anything.”
― Nancy Farmer, The House of the Scorpion

“No one can tell the difference between a clone and a human. That's because there isn't any difference. The idea of clones being inferior is a filthy lie.”
― Nancy Farmer, The House of the Scorpion

“Guardian angels guide the steps of idiots.”
― Nancy Farmer, The House of the Scorpion

“Tam Lin says rabbits give up when they're caught by coyotes [...]. He says they consent to die because their animals and can't understand hope. But humans are different. They fight against death no matter how bad things seem, and sometimes, even when everything's against them, they win.”
― Nancy Farmer, The House of the Scorpion

“I don't mind," he whispered. "If I had a soul, I'd probably wind up in hell anyway.”
― Nancy Farmer, The House of the Scorpion

“Power's a strange thing, lad. It's a drug people like me crave it.”
― Nancy Farmer, The House of the Scorpion

“Does is make the dragon happy?" Matt asked.
"Does is make the dragon happy?" echoed Tam Lin. "Why, I never thought of that. I suppose it does. What other pleasure can a creature have whose life consists of making everyone else miserable?”
― Nancy Farmer, The House of the Scorpion

“Most of all, it was the wild music that impressed Matt. It did the same thing that playing the piano had done when he was frightened and lonely. It took him into another world where only beauty existed and where he was sage from hatred and disappointment and death.”
― Nancy Farmer, The House of the Scorpion

“A little extra forgiveness never hurts," said Matt, quoting one of Celia's favorite sayings.”
― Nancy Farmer, The House of the Scorpion

“Tam Lin says rabbits give up when they're caught by coyotes," Matt said after he'd calmed enough to trust his voice. "He says they consent to die because they're animals and can't understand hope. Hit humans are different.. They fight against death no matter how bad things seem, and sometimes, even when everything's against them, they win."
"Yeah. About once in a million years," said Chacho.
"Twice in a million," said Matt. "There's who of us."
"You are one dumb bunny," said Chacho, but he stopped crying.”
― Nancy Farmer, The House of the Scorpion

“You don’t have a soul, so you can’t be baptized. All animals are like that. I think it’s unfair and sometimes I don’t believe it. After all, what would heaven be without birds or dogs or horses? And what about trees and flowers? They don’t have souls either. Does that mean heaven looks like a cement parking lot? I suppose this is what the nuns call a theological problem.”
― Nancy Farmer, The House of the Scorpion

“When u are small, u can choose which way to grow. If you are kind and decent, you grow into a kind and decent man. And if you are like El Patron . . . Just think about it.” – Tam Lin”
― Nancy Farmer, The House of the Scorpion

“Tom is a filthy little pustule. If you quote me, I'll deny it!”
― Nancy Farmer, The House of the Scorpion

“She would drink until the trembling stopped. Then she would wilt over the piano like one of Celia's spinaches when Tam Lin forgot to water the garden.”
― Nancy Farmer, The House of the Scorpion

“Matt discovered that no matter how terrified he’d been at first, it wasn’t possible to stay terrified. It was as though his brain said, Okay. That’s enough. Let’s find something else to do.”
― Nancy Farmer, The House of the Scorpion

“When you're small, you can choose which way to grow. If you're kind and decent, you grow into a kind and decent man. The idea that if you were mean, you might stay mean forever had never occurred to him.”
― Nancy Farmer, The House of the Scorpion

“I decided to forgive you after reading The Little Flowers of Saint Francis,” María began. “You remember the wolf I talked about? Well, he was a monster who terrorized everybody until Saint Francis gave him a talking-to. He was sweet as a lamb and never ate anything but vegetables after that.” “I didn’t know wolves could digest vegetables,” said Matt, who had studied biology. “That’s not the point.”
― Nancy Farmer, The House of the Scorpion

“Matt had no trouble believing her.”
― Nancy Farmer, The House of the Scorpion

“He didn’t want anything new in his life, no matter how beautiful.”
― Nancy Farmer, The House of the Scorpion

“As for asking Tam Lin, Matt didn’t know how to bring up the subject. By the way, is anyone planning to cut me up into T-bone steaks? Even more terrifying was the bodyguard’s possible answer: You hit the nail on the head there, laddie. I always said you were bright as a button.”
― Nancy Farmer, The House of the Scorpion

“Scar tissue had formed a knot on the bottom of his foot. He inspected the writing frequently—PROPERTY OF THE ALACRÁN ESTATE—but the scar had sliced through the tiny lettering. It was more difficult to make out the words.”
― Nancy Farmer, The House of the Scorpion

“Before the next minute had passed, they had all fallen to the ground. Just like that. As though someone had reached inside and turned off a switch.
"What happened?" Matt asked, gasping.
I went from one person to the next, trying to wake them up, but they were all dead, wrote Daft Donald.”
― Nancy Farmer, The House of the Scorpion

“I don't hold grudges, but that doesn't change the fact you have surrounded yourself with lying rats. I've been over it a million times, Tam. There aint no solution without help.”
― Nancy Farmer, The House of the Scorpion

“Some people make think slowly, but they're very thorough about it.”
― Nancy Farmer, The House of the Scorpion