Games and Rituals Quotes

“Why is she so eager to be free of someone so gentle and kind? Is it fair to dislike someone solely because he reminds you of an earlier, awkward stage of your life? Probably not. But nobody ever said life was fair.”
― Katherine Heiny, Games and Rituals

“The gentle smile, the burning sting, the anticipation of the follow-up appointment—their first meeting was like the very essence of love. A distillation of love. No wonder they’d gotten married. A whirlwind courtship; they were walking down the aisle less than six months after their first date. Yet no friend or family member protested or raised a single doubt—it was clear they were meant to be together.”
― Katherine Heiny, Games and Rituals

“(There is no aphrodisiac even half as powerful as talking shit about someone.)”
― Katherine Heiny, Games and Rituals

“William had begun to worry that he no longer sparked joy in his wife and that she would give him to Goodwill.”
― Katherine Heiny, Games and Rituals

“The teenage part of you still believes your father is immortal, but the adult part of you already knows the truth: the climate has truly changed. The atmosphere is heavier, the air is harsher, and you know why. Already you’re struggling to breathe and it will only get worse. It will be so much harder to move through the world, now that you move through it alone.”
― Katherine Heiny, Games and Rituals

“The teenage part of you still believes your father is immortal, but the adult part of you already knows the truth: the climate has truly changed. The atmosphere is heavier, the air is harsher, and you know why.”
― Katherine Heiny, Games and Rituals

“Mia felt suddenly sure that she and her mother and Gordey were not replicas of one another, doomed to repeat the same mistakes. They were just rotating through the roles of parent and child, child and parent, taking turns at worrying and causing worry, at needing care and giving it. They would continue to do that for the rest of their lives, shining brighter and then dimmer.”
― Katherine Heiny, Games and Rituals

“Sometimes she thinks it might actually be easier if Alejandro had a girlfriend; it’s horrible to feel you’re competing with the world.”
― Katherine Heiny, Games and Rituals

“Some people say that migraines feel like bad hangovers. And some people say that migraines feel like headaches that pulse. And some people say that migraines feel like stomach flu in your head. But what migraines really feel like is being tied to a railroad track while the worlds longest, loudest, freight train thunders over you. It starts with a bright light in the corner of your vision. Very bright. Like someone is standing beside you and shining a flashlight in your eye, but you can't back a light away. Can't turn your head from it. Then you hear the train's shrill whistle, the dull angry clank of the bell, the roar of its engine. By then you're tied to the train track. Hopefully the track is your bed and not a bus stop bench or restaurant table. And you can only try to flatten yourself as the train rushes toward you. Its light flashing and horn blaring. Finally you feel the hot breath of its arrival. Feel the smoky burning exhaust fill your lungs. And then it's thundering over you. Of course the train, the noise, and the light, and the fumes is all in your head. But that's the problem. It's ALL IN YOUR HEAD! You can't escape it. You can only lie on the track, waiting for the roaring, shrieking, light splintering pain to pass. And remember, this is the world's longest train. You'll be here for hours. in this exact position. In this much pain. Lifting your head, even if you were capable of that, which you're not, results in instant decapitation. But decapitation would at least stop the pain and sometimes you wish for it.”
― Katherine Heiny, Games and Rituals