Sean Russell Quotes (39 quotes) | Quotes of famous people

“Not even the cessation of breathing?” the viscount asked, but neither Tristam nor Beacham laughed.
Source: World Without End (1995), Chapter 39 (p. 557)

Sean Russell Quotes

“I am a trained empiricist, sir. Superstition is not compatible with my pursuits.”

Sean Russell

Source: World Without End (1995), Chapter 4 (p. 40)

“One of the lessons of age,” he said softly. “Do not waste what time you have in regret.”

Sean Russell

Source: Sea Without a Shore (1996), Chapter 38 (p. 551)

“There was no question in Tristam’s mind now that if one stared into the semidarkness long enough one would find whatever one sought. What the eye could not locate the mind would manufacture.”

Sean Russell

Source: World Without End (1995), Chapter 34 (p. 479)

“Tristam,” the old man said softly. “If I may be completely candid, you are the poorest liar. Lack of experience, no doubt—which is to your credit.”

Sean Russell

Source: World Without End (1995), Chapter 7 (p. 104)

“Perhaps she was not really so perfect, but he had made her so in his mind. People did this; he had seen it. As though the world of humans was created from their desires as much as their perception—an issue the empiricists tried to deal with in their natural philosophy.
Although he realized this was a trivial truth, still, trying to comprehend the reality of a situation was his constant activity. He could not necessarily trust the word of ministers, who all had their own purposes; nor what his mother might think, for her own perception was colored by her desire to see people in certain ways. One did not trust the periodicals, certainly, and pamphleteers were never disinterested. Everyone seemed to see the world and events a little differently, depending on their own personal mixture of desire and pragmatism. In history there were any number of rulers whose perception of events was so far removed from reality that it led to calamity. Prince Wilam did not want to be one of those—at any cost. Even if it meant giving up the world as he desired it to be.”

Sean Russell

Source: Sea Without a Shore (1996), Chapter 26 (p. 352)

“Not only had he become adept at predicting the behavior of others, but he could predict his own behavior just as well. He no longer surprised himself. It was one of the saddest things about aging.”

Sean Russell

Source: Sea Without a Shore (1996), Chapter 13 (p. 181)

“Well, perhaps you have begun your journey toward wisdom, Mr. Flattery,” Kent said seriously. “We have such a short time and the journey is so terribly long. One cannot begin too soon.”

Sean Russell

Source: World Without End (1995), Chapter 11 (p. 158)

“Man, he suspected, had a particular genius for complicating things, for creating social hurdles that one must leap or be thought lacking.”

Sean Russell

Source: Sea Without a Shore (1996), Chapter 8 (p. 100)

“If a man’s deeds do not outlive him, of what value is a mark in stone?”

Sean Russell

Source: World Without End (1995), Chapter 24 (p. 341)

“The carriage, Tristam realized, was becoming the metaphor for this period of his life: he neither owned, drove, nor directed one in any way but was simply carried along.”

Sean Russell

Source: World Without End (1995), Chapter 12 (p. 164)

“Never,” he said firmly, “be intimidated by a person because of the size of house in which they were born.”

Sean Russell

Source: World Without End (1995), Chapter 38 (p. 544)

“I do not want to end up like Stern, Tristam thought: the dutiful servant, silently chewing his resentment, hoping, pitifully, that his sacrifice would one day be rewarded.”

Sean Russell

Source: World Without End (1995), Chapter 35 (p. 501)

“Dandish was the ideal empiricist. Pushing back the borders of ignorance, that was his only reason for living.”

Sean Russell

Source: World Without End (1995), Chapter 5 (p. 64)

“Their superstitions will allow them to believe things without much critical thought.”

Sean Russell

Source: Sea Without a Shore (1996), Chapter 6 (p. 76)

“Roderick has been known to have titles and estates granted to those in his circle for accomplishing nothing more than constant agreement with his opinions, but those he has not befriended could save the kingdom and hardly receive a note of thanks. It is the way of the court and courtiers. But not everyone is so blind.”

Sean Russell

Source: World Without End (1995), Chapter 4 (p. 51)

“Experience taught him that the future was uncertain and one could prepare for it only by learning indifference to disappointment and loss.”

Sean Russell

Source: Sea Without a Shore (1996), Chapter 8 (p. 99)

““They say wine will kill you slowly.” He nodded his head solemnly. “But that’s all right, we’re in no hurry.””

Sean Russell

Source: World Without End (1995), Chapter 12 (p. 173)

““We continue to negotiate the treaty, endlessly apparently, to everyone’s continuing loss.” He smiled wryly. “You know how such things go. We no longer debate to gain real advantage but to come away from the table having created the perception that we have somehow won. ‘Politics,’ this is called.””

Sean Russell

Source: World Without End (1995), Chapter 28 (p. 389)

“My older cousins teased us—my sisters and brothers—with tales that Erasmus Flattery was a mage. We were all struck dumb in his presence, terrified that he would practice some enchantment upon us. In truth, we always hoped to see some magic, but of course we never did.”

Sean Russell

She laughed again. “Children do love to believe such things.”
Source: World Without End (1995), Chapter 24 (p. 343)

“The only thing of which we can be sure—time passes—everything else is vanity.”

Sean Russell

Source: Sea Without a Shore (1996), Chapter 33 (p. 475)

““I have tried to find some explanation that does not rely on logic, but once the borders of rationality have been removed I cannot imagine what should take their place. How does one begin to measure? What standards should one apply?”
The prince understood what she meant. Once reason was no longer your guide, you were like a man stranded in a featureless landscape. There were no landmarks to use. One direction was as likely to yield results as any other.”

Sean Russell

Source: Sea Without a Shore (1996), Chapter 26 (p. 353)

“Tristam stood and raised his glass. “May life be kind, and friends loyal. Ventures profitable, children plentiful, and age like a slow turning of the leaves in autumn; grand, beautiful and tranquil.””

Sean Russell

Source: Sea Without a Shore (1996), Chapter 40 (p. 583)

“I have tried to find some explanation that does not rely on logic, but once the borders of rationality have been removed I cannot imagine what should take their place. How does one begin to measure? What standards should one apply?”

Sean Russell

The prince understood what she meant. Once reason was no longer your guide, you were like a man stranded in a featureless landscape. There were no landmarks to use. One direction was as likely to yield results as any other.
Source: Sea Without a Shore (1996), Chapter 26 (p. 353)

“We continue to negotiate the treaty, endlessly apparently, to everyone’s continuing loss.”

Sean Russell

He smiled wryly. “You know how such things go. We no longer debate to gain real advantage but to come away from the table having created the perception that we have somehow won. ‘Politics,’ this is called.”
Source: World Without End (1995), Chapter 28 (p. 389)

“They say wine will kill you slowly.”

Sean Russell

He nodded his head solemnly. “But that’s all right, we’re in no hurry.”
Source: World Without End (1995), Chapter 12 (p. 173)