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Tim OBrien Quotes

War is a fundamental aspect of human existence. It’s good to know what war entails and what the human sacrifice is Picture Quote #1

A few names were known in full, some in part, some not at all. No one cared. Except in clearly unreasonable cases, a soldier was generally called by the name he preferred, or by what he called himself, and no great effort was made to disentangle Christian names from surnames from nicknames Picture Quote #1

In many ways he was like America itself, big and strong, full of good intentions, a roll of fat jiggling at his belly, slow of foot but always plodding along, always there when you needed him, a believer in the virtues of simplicity and directness and hard labor Picture Quote #1

Did I choose this life of illusion? Don’t be mad. My bed was made, I just lied in it Picture Quote #1

Life is never all one thing. It bounces around. Certainly, my own life has Picture Quote #1

They were afraid of dying but even more afraid to show it Picture Quote #1

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Laughter does not deny pain. Laughter - like a wail - acknowledges and replies to pain Picture Quote #1

Storytelling is the essential human activity. The harder the situation, the more essential it is Picture Quote #1

Fiction, maybe art in general, is a tentative, uncertain enterprise; it’s not science, it’s an exploration, but you never find much in the way of answers Picture Quote #1

Inside I feel much like a 12-year-old or a 17-year-old who knows big words Picture Quote #1

The human life is all one thing, like a blade tracing loops on the ice: a little kid, a twenty-three-year-old infantry sergeant, a middle-aged writer knowing guilt and sorrow Picture Quote #1

It’s very hard to articulate the things that are important about writing Picture Quote #1

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My life is storytelling. I believe in stories, in their incredible power to keep people alive, to keep the living alive, and the dead Picture Quote #1

That’s what fiction is for. It’s for getting at the truth when the truth isn’t sufficient for the truth Picture Quote #1

You can tell a true war story if it embarrasses you. If you don’t care for obscenity, you don’t care for the truth; if you don’t care for the truth, watch how you vote. Send guys to war, they come home talking dirty Picture Quote #1

I want you to feel what I felt. I want you to know why story-truth is truer sometimes than happening-truth Picture Quote #1

It was very sad, he thought. The things men carried inside. The things men did or felt they had to do Picture Quote #1

I’ll picture Rat Kiley face, his grief, and I’ll think, You dumb cooze. Because she wasn’t listening. It wasn’t a war story. It was a love story Picture Quote #1

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Even then, at nine years old, I wanted to live inside her body. I wanted to melt into her bones - THAT kind of love Picture Quote #1

What would you do? Would you jump? Would you feel pity for yourself? Would you think about your family and your childhood and your dreams and all you’re leaving behind? Would it hurt? Would it feel like dying? Would you cry, as I did? Picture Quote #1

Each of us, I suppose needs his illusions. Life after death. A maker of planets. A woman to love, a man to hate. Something sacred. But what a waste Picture Quote #1

I did not set out to write another novel. One day I sat down with the thought of trying my hand at a piece of nonfiction, a personal memoir of youth, but over the next several weeks, without intending it, the work began evolving into what has become ‘Tomcat in Love.’ Picture Quote #1

I received my draft notice right after graduation from college and had three months before going into the Army in September to think about it Picture Quote #1

What sticks to memory, often, are those odd little fragments that have no beginning and no end Picture Quote #1

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They carried all they could bear, and then some, including a silent awe for the power of the things they carried Picture Quote #1

They carried the soldier’s greatest fear, which was the fear of blushing. Men killed, and died, because they were embarrassed not to Picture Quote #1

You were a treasonous pussy if you had second thoughts about killing and dying for plain and simple reasons Picture Quote #1

Right then, with the shore so close, I understood that I would not do what I should do. I would not swim away from my hometown and my country and my life. I would not be brave Picture Quote #1

I survived, but it’s not a happy ending. I was a coward. I went to the war Picture Quote #1

To generalize about war is like generalizing about peace. Almost everything is true. Almost nothing is true Picture Quote #1

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Friendship Quotes

Motivational Quotes

Inspirational Quotes

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Text Quotes

War is a fundamental aspect of human existence. It’s good to know what war entails and what the human sacrifice is. (Tim OBrien Quotes) A few names were known in full, some in part, some not at all. No one cared. Except in clearly unreasonable cases, a soldier was generally called by the name he preferred, or by what he called himself, and no great effort was made to disentangle Christian names from surnames from nicknames. (Tim OBrien Quotes) In many ways he was like America itself, big and strong, full of good intentions, a roll of fat jiggling at his belly, slow of foot but always plodding along, always there when you needed him, a believer in the virtues of simplicity and directness and hard labor. (Tim OBrien Quotes) Did I choose this life of illusion? Don’t be mad. My bed was made, I just lied in it. (Tim OBrien Quotes) Life is never all one thing. It bounces around. Certainly, my own life has (Tim OBrien Quotes) They were afraid of dying but even more afraid to show it (Tim OBrien Quotes) Laughter does not deny pain. Laughter - like a wail - acknowledges and replies to pain (Tim OBrien Quotes) Storytelling is the essential human activity. The harder the situation, the more essential it is (Tim OBrien Quotes) Fiction, maybe art in general, is a tentative, uncertain enterprise; it’s not science, it’s an exploration, but you never find much in the way of answers (Tim OBrien Quotes) Inside I feel much like a 12-year-old or a 17-year-old who knows big words (Tim OBrien Quotes) The human life is all one thing, like a blade tracing loops on the ice: a little kid, a twenty-three-year-old infantry sergeant, a middle-aged writer knowing guilt and sorrow. (Tim OBrien Quotes) It’s very hard to articulate the things that are important about writing (Tim OBrien Quotes) My life is storytelling. I believe in stories, in their incredible power to keep people alive, to keep the living alive, and the dead (Tim OBrien Quotes) That’s what fiction is for. It’s for getting at the truth when the truth isn’t sufficient for the truth (Tim OBrien Quotes) You can tell a true war story if it embarrasses you. If you don’t care for obscenity, you don’t care for the truth; if you don’t care for the truth, watch how you vote. Send guys to war, they come home talking dirty (Tim OBrien Quotes) I want you to feel what I felt. I want you to know why story-truth is truer sometimes than happening-truth (Tim OBrien Quotes) It was very sad, he thought. The things men carried inside. The things men did or felt they had to do (Tim OBrien Quotes) I’ll picture Rat Kiley face, his grief, and I’ll think, You dumb cooze. Because she wasn’t listening. It wasn’t a war story. It was a love story (Tim OBrien Quotes) Even then, at nine years old, I wanted to live inside her body. I wanted to melt into her bones - THAT kind of love (Tim OBrien Quotes) What would you do? Would you jump? Would you feel pity for yourself? Would you think about your family and your childhood and your dreams and all you’re leaving behind? Would it hurt? Would it feel like dying? Would you cry, as I did? (Tim OBrien Quotes) Each of us, I suppose needs his illusions. Life after death. A maker of planets. A woman to love, a man to hate. Something sacred. But what a waste (Tim OBrien Quotes) I did not set out to write another novel. One day I sat down with the thought of trying my hand at a piece of nonfiction, a personal memoir of youth, but over the next several weeks, without intending it, the work began evolving into what has become ‘Tomcat in Love.’ (Tim OBrien Quotes) I received my draft notice right after graduation from college and had three months before going into the Army in September to think about it. (Tim OBrien Quotes) What sticks to memory, often, are those odd little fragments that have no beginning and no end (Tim OBrien Quotes) They carried all they could bear, and then some, including a silent awe for the power of the things they carried (Tim OBrien Quotes) They carried the soldier’s greatest fear, which was the fear of blushing. Men killed, and died, because they were embarrassed not to (Tim OBrien Quotes) You were a treasonous pussy if you had second thoughts about killing and dying for plain and simple reasons (Tim OBrien Quotes) Right then, with the shore so close, I understood that I would not do what I should do. I would not swim away from my hometown and my country and my life. I would not be brave (Tim OBrien Quotes) I survived, but it’s not a happy ending. I was a coward. I went to the war (Tim OBrien Quotes) To generalize about war is like generalizing about peace. Almost everything is true. Almost nothing is true (Tim OBrien Quotes)

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