Quotes about tell
page 13

“Look, don't just stare at the pages," I used to tell my students. "Become the characters. Live inside the book.”

Wally Lamb (1950) american novelist

Source: The Hour I First Believed

“Tell me how you crumble when you hit the wall, the place you cannot go beyond by the strength of your own will. What carries you to the other side of that wall, to the fragile beauty of your own humanness?”

Oriah Mountain Dreamer (1954) Canadian author

Beauty

“Let me tell you, if you have never seen an agitated squirrel you have seen very little, nor have you heard much, because the sound of an angry squirrel is not to be forgotten.”

Joe R. Lansdale book Bad Chili

Source: Bad Chili

“How ya doin'?' I always think, What kind of a question is that?, and I always reply, 'A bit early to tell.”

Christopher Hitchens book Love, Poverty, and War: Journeys and Essays

Source: Love, Poverty, and War: Journeys and Essays

Question, Thinking

“people will tell you were they have gone, they'll tell you where to go, but until you get there for yourself you never really know.”

Joni Mitchell (1943) Canadian musician

People

“I prefer to believe that people are good and honest and respect me enough to tell me the truth. It's not easy to find those people all the time, but they're out there.”

Ellen DeGeneres (1958) American stand-up comedian, television host, and actress

Source: Seriously... I'm Kidding

People, Truth, Time

“At some point in life the world's beauty becomes enough. You don't need to photograph, paint or even remember it. It is enough. No record of it needs to be kept and you don't need someone to share it with or tell it to. When that happens — that letting go — you let go because you can.”

Toni Morrison book Tar Baby

Tar Baby (1981)

Life, World, Beauty, Painting

“Hatori: "SHIGURE… I WILL TELL EVERYONE IN THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT YOU, STARTING FROM WHEN YOU WERE FOUR YEARS OLD…"

Shigure: "Sorry, Tohru-kun. My lips are sealed!”

Natsuki Takaya (1973) Manga artist

Source: Fruits Basket, Vol. 2

“You can't ever tell what's going to hurt people.”

Evelyn Waugh book A Handful of Dust

Source: A Handful of Dust

People, Hurt

“Why does anybody tell a story? It does indeed have something to do with faith. Faith that the universe has meaning, that our little human lives are not irrelevant, that what we choose or say or do matters, matters cosmically.”

Madeleine L'Engle (1918–2007) American writer

Faith, Universe

“When you see the Crooked Warden," said Locke, twisting something in his hands, "tell him that Lock Lamora learns slowly, but he learns well. And when you see my friends, you tell them that there are more of you on the way.”

Scott Lynch The Lies of Locke Lamora

Source: The Lies of Locke Lamora

Way, Learning

“I won’t tell you how I managed to break in, since I don’t want the authorities figuring out, but let’s just say that if you’re going to make a gate, make sure it reaches all the way to the ground.”

Meg Cabot book Shadowland

Source: Shadowland

Way

“Calm down, Horus said.
"Don't tell me to calm down!"
Bast frowned. "I didn't."
"Talking to him!" I pointed at my forehead.”

Rick Riordan book The Red Pyramid

Source: The Red Pyramid

“Sing in me, Muse, and through me tell the story
of that man skilled in all ways of contending,
the wanderer, harried for years on end”

Homér The Odyssey (Cowper)

Source: The Odyssey

Way, Singing

“So tell me, Mr. Science Journalist, do you still doubt the existence of miracles?""

""I just tole you. You're my miracle.”

Nicholas Sparks book True Believer

True Believer

Science

“A sad smile crossed her face, and I knew right then what she was trying to tell me. Her eyes never left mine as she finally said the words that numbed my soul.
I'm dying, Landon.”

Nicholas Sparks book A Walk to Remember

Source: A Walk to Remember

Sadness, Smile, Soul

“One question," I said. "Did you tell me all that because you think I'm going to die?"
"No," he said. "It's because you're doing something brave, and I felt I should too."
"I'll take that as a yes," I said.”

Maureen Johnson (1973) writer from the USA

Source: The Name of the Star

Question, Thinking

“Don’t believe what your eyes are telling you. All they show is limitation. Look with your understanding. Find out what you already know and you will see the way to fly.”

Richard Bach book Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Source: Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Way, Understanding, Flying

“Technology is the campfire around which we tell our stories.”

Laurie Anderson (1947) American musician

“Is this the part where you tell me you're secretly in love with me? Vampire mojo strikes again.”

Cassandra Clare book City of Fallen Angels

Variant: I was following you.' - Jace
'Is this the part where you tell me you're secretly in love with me? Vampire mojo strikes again.' - Simon
Source: City of Fallen Angels

Love, Parting

“I told you to wait,” he snapped at Alec.
“Don’t you ever do anything I tell you to?”
“Technically you didn’t actually say anything,”
Clary said. “You just gestured.”
“Gesturing counts,” Jace said. “I gesture
very expressively.”

Cassandra Clare book City of Heavenly Fire

Source: City of Heavenly Fire

Waiting

“I know we loved each other, but distance can do strange things to people and before I was willing to tell you about it, I wanted to be certain that it would last”

Nicholas Sparks book Nights in Rodanthe

Source: Nights in Rodanthe

Love, People

“I'll tell you what love is" I said, "It is blind devotion, unquestioning self humiliation, utter submission, trust and belief against yourself and against the whole world, giving up your heart and soul to the smiter.”

Jasper Fforde book Lost in a Good Book

Source: Lost in a Good Book

Love, World, Soul, Heart

“I have to tell you, man, that my stalker meter is kind of registering in the red zone right now.”

David Levithan book Will Grayson, Will Grayson

Source: Will Grayson, Will Grayson

“I hate you! (Artemis)
Oh, please don’t get my hopes up. You almost gave me a hard-on with that thought. At least tell me this time your hatred will last more than five minutes. (Acheron)”

Sherrilyn Kenyon book Dance with the Devil

Source: Dance with the Devil

Hate, Hope, Time

“Listen to the trees as they sway in the wind.

Their leaves are telling secrets. Their bark sings songs of olden days as it grows around the trunks. And their roots give names to all things.

Their language has been lost.

But not the gestures.”

Vera Nazarian (1966) American writer

Source: The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration

Secret, Tree, Singing

“I don't mind being called a liar. I am. I am a marvelous liar. But I hate being called a liar when I´m telling the perfect truth.”

Patrick Rothfuss book The Wise Man's Fear

Source: The Wise Man's Fear

Hate, Truth, Perfection

“So when a dragon is directly over you, well, even if you're me and you're kind of used to it, your medulla oblongata is still telling you 'the sky is falling, you're about to die, run like hell.”

Robin McKinley Dragonhaven

Source: Dragonhaven

Hell

“Did anybody tell you that you're a few french fries short of a Happy Meal?”

Susan Elizabeth Phillips (1948) American writer

Source: This Heart of Mine

Happiness

“Maybe nobody has a right to tell anybody to shut up. Maybe this is how wars get started, because someone tells someone else to shut up, and then no one will apologize.”

Meg Cabot The Princess Diaries

Source: The Princess Diaries

War

“In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.”

Jane Austen (1775–1817) English novelist

Variant: In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will no longer be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.
Source: Pride And Prejudice

Love, Feeling, Relationship, Romantic

“The most telling and profound way of describing the evolution of the universe would undoubtedly be to trace the evolution of love.”

Pierre Teilhard De Chardin (1881–1955) French philosopher and Jesuit priest

Love, Way, Universe

“Macey was just starting to argue when Abby asked, "What can you tell me about the gunmen?"
"They're amateurs," Hale said at the exact same time Macey told her teacher, "They're pros.”

Ally Carter (1974) American writer

Source: Double Crossed: A Spies and Thieves Story

Teachers, Time

“Try to live so that you can always tell the truth.”

Jonathan Safran Foer book Everything Is Illuminated

Source: Everything Is Illuminated

Truth

“I think we got in more trouble with Aunt Tasha,ʺ said Christian. ʺShe was kind of pissed off that we didnʹt tell her what was going on. I think she probably wanted to blow up the statues herself.”

Richelle Mead book Last Sacrifice

Source: Last Sacrifice

Thinking

“Don't. Tell me when, then. And before you say never, take a good look at me and tell me if you see a man who's easily deterred.”

Sylvia Day book Bared to You

Source: Bared to You

“I've been a police officer for twenty years now and I'll tell you, pretty much every bad thing is life is a result of bad timing, and every good thing is the result of good timing.”

Gabrielle Zevin (1977) American writer

Source: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

Life, Time

“This is the thing they don't tell you about being a third wheel - it's not like you're the wheel that's added on. You were one of the original two wheels, but suddenly you're not so important anymore. The relationship drives fine without you.”

David Levithan book Every You, Every Me

Source: Every You, Every Me

“There were hundreds of them spread across the floor, each telling its own tale of triumph or sadness, each letter representing a phase in her life. She had kept them all.”

Cecelia Ahern book Love, Rosie

Source: Love, Rosie

Life, Sadness

“You get what you give, but also what you're willing to take. The night before, I'd offered up my hand. Now, if I held on, there was no telling what it was possible to recieve in return.”

Sarah Dessen Lock and Key

Source: Lock and Key

Night

“Never tell your problems to anyone…20% don't care and the other 80% are glad you have them.”

Lou Holtz (1937) American college football coach, professional football coach, television sports announcer

Problem

“To tell you the truth I love Sam. It's not a movie kind of love either. I just look at her sometimes and I think she is the prettiest and nicest person in the whole world.”

Stephen Chbosky book The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Source: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Love, Truth, World, Thinking

“You can't believe because she tells you to," I said
"No. The question is: how to be a good person if I don't believe anymore.”

E. Lockhart book We Were Liars

Source: We Were Liars

Question, Personality

“People always ask me where they should go to work, and I always tell them to go to work for whom they admire the most.”

Warren Buffett (1930) American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist

People

“Was she telling you to stay away from me?" I asked.
He paused, then said, "Yeah." He squeezed my hand out of Aunt Lauren's sight. "It's okay. We're good."

Chloe and Derek”

Kelley Armstrong The Reckoning

Source: The Reckoning

“You're only a man! You've not our gifts! I can tell you! Why, a woman can think of a hundred different things at once, all them contradictory!”

Georgette Heyer (1902–1974) British historical romance and detective fiction novelist

Source: Powder And Patch

Thinking

“1425: When you really like someone, tell them. Sometimes you only get one chance.”

H. Jackson Brown, Jr. (1940) American writer

Source: The Complete Life's Little Instruction Book

Chance

“Stories are light. Light is precious in a world so dark. Begin at the beginning. Tell Gregory a story. Make some light.”

Kate DiCamillo book The Tale of Despereaux

Source: The Tale of Despereaux (2004)

World, Light

“I'm telling you this for one reason and one reason only: No matter how sure you are of someone's love, it's always nice to hear it.”

Mike Gayle book Turning Thirty

Source: Turning Thirty

Love

“It's not something you tell your single best friend. It'd be like rubbing your nose in the poop of my happiness.”

Shannon Hale book Austenland

Source: Austenland

Happiness

“What Paul says about Peter tells us more about Paul than about Peter”

Baruch Spinoza (1632–1677) Dutch philosopher

“One thing I can tell you for sure is this: we only regret what we don't do in life.”

Kristin Hannah (1960) American writer

Source: Firefly Lane

Life

“I did not tell Fat this, but technically he had become a Buddha. It did not seem to me like a good idea to let him know. After all, if you are a Buddha you should be able to figure it out for yourself.”

Philip K. Dick book VALIS

Source: VALIS

Idea

“You can always tell a real friend: when you've made a fool of yourself he doesn't feel you've done a permanent job.”

Laurence J. Peter (1919–1990) Canadian eductor

Fools, Feeling, For Friend

“You know the difference between news and gossip, don't you? News tells you what people did. Gossip tells you how much they enjoyed it.”

Gregory David Roberts book Shantaram

Source: Shantaram

People

“don't say it. don't tell me that nobody's going to stare at me, because they will. don't tell me it doesn't matter, because it does. and don't tell me i look fine because that's a lie.”

Jodi Picoult My Sister's Keeper

Source: My Sister's Keeper

Lie

“Complete happiness can look so much like complete terror that its hard to tell them apart.”

Carol Plum-Ucci (1957) American writer

Source: What Happened to Lani Garver

Happiness

“Scientists tell us that the fastest animal in the world, with a speed of 120 mph, is a cow dropped out of a helicopter.”

Dave Barry (1947) American writer

World, Animals, Speed

“Just tell me how to be different in a way that makes sense.”

Stephen Chbosky book The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Source: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Way, Sense

“Have you noticed that whatever sport you're trying to learn, some earnest person is always telling you to keep your knees bent?”

Dave Barry (1947) American writer

Sport, Learning, Personality

“Some people will tell you there is a great deal of poetry and fine sentiment in a chest of tea.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882) American philosopher, essayist, and poet

Source: Letters and Social Aims

People, Tea

“Frustration was my constant companion. I wanted to scream. "What the he-eck are we supposed to doI asked Fang.
He looked at me, and I could tell he was mulling over the problem. He held out a small waxed-paper bag.
Peanut?”

James Patterson (1947) American author

Source: Maximum Ride The Angel Experiment

Problem

“*Oh, I know I could say were through
And tell myself I'm over you
But even if I made a vow
I promise not to miss you now
And try to hide the truth inside
I fell cause I, I just can't live a lie”

Carrie Underwood (1983) American country music singer

Truth, Lie

“A picture is a secret about a secret, the more it tells you the less you know.”

Diane Arbus (1923–1971) American photographer and author

Source: Estrin, James, Diane Arbus, 1923-1971, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/obituaries/overlooked-diane-arbus.html, 6 November 2018, The New York Times, 8 March 2018]

Diane Arbus: Revelations. New York: Random House, 2003. ISBN 0-375-50620-9.

Ault, Alicia, A Window into the World of Diane Arbus: Photographs from the portfolio, "A box of 10," reveal photographer's secrets, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/window-world-diane-arbus-180968861/, 13 November 2018, Smithsonian, 24 April 2018

Secret

“If anyone ever asks you what panic is, now you can tell them: an emotional blank spot that leaves you feeling as if you've been sucking on a mouthful of pennies.”

Stephen King book Gerald's Game

Source: Gerald's Game

Feeling

“He was trying to tell me something."
Derek snorted. "Aren’t they all? Must be a rule in the ghost handbook—if in danger of evaporating, make sure you’re in the middle of a dire pronouncement.”

Kelley Armstrong The Reckoning

Source: The Reckoning

“Some day I'm gonna call me up on the phone, so when I answer, I can tell myself to shut up.”

Miles Davis (1926–1991) American jazz musician

“Percy!” he bellowed. He dropped his broom and ran at me. If you’ve never been charged by an enthusiastic Cyclops wearing a flowered apron and rubber cleaning gloves, I’m telling you, it’ll wake you up quick.”

Rick Riordan book The Battle of the Labyrinth

Source: The Battle of the Labyrinth

Flowers

“You are a name, not a number. Never forget that name, whatever they tell you here. You will always be Chaya—life—to me.”

Jane Yolen book The Devil's Arithmetic

Source: The Devil's Arithmetic

Life, Forgetting

“You tell a kid he doesn't like to read, and he'll believe you”

Gabrielle Zevin (1977) American writer

Source: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

Reading

“The hungry feeling and the lonely feeling merged until it was hard to tell them apart.”

Rob Sheffield (1966) American music journalist

Source: Love Is a Mix Tape

Feeling

“I remember her telling me once that rabbits were the gnomes in attendance to the Fairy Queen and that the stars were God's daisy chain. Perfect rot, of course.”

P.G. Wodehouse (1881–1975) English author

God, Star, Perfection

“The secret story is the one we'll never know, although we're living it from day to day, thinking we're alive, thinking we've got it all under control and the stuff we overlook doesn't matter. But every single damn thing matters! Only we don't realize. We just tell ourselves that art runs on one track and life, our lives, on another, and we don't realize that's a lie.”

Roberto Bolaño book Last Evenings on Earth

Dentist
Last Evenings on Earth (2006)

Life, Lie, Secret, Art

“Tell Suzie she's a lucky cat.' Have sexier words ever been spoken?”

Ally Carter (1974) American writer

Cats

“You could not tell a story like this. A story like this you could only feel.”

Peter Carey Oscar and Lucinda

Source: Oscar and Lucinda

Feeling

“Lies," Mr Solomon said the next morning as he walked into the classroom. "We tell them to our friends," he said. "We tell them to our enemies. And eventually… we tell them to ourselves.”

Ally Carter Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy

Source: Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy

“In Mosca’s experience, a ‘long story’ was always a short story someone did not want to tell.”

Frances Hardinge book Fly by Night

Source: Fly by Night

“There will always be people who say it does not exist because they cannot have it. But I tell you it is true and that you have it and that you are lucky even if you die tomorrow.”

Ernest Hemingway book For Whom the Bell Tolls

Source: For Whom the Bell Tolls

People

“Meg! I love you! I want to marry you!"
"That's weird," she said without stopping. "Only six weeks ago, you were telling me all about how Lucy broke your heart."
"I was wrong. Lucy broke my brain.”

Susan Elizabeth Phillips (1948) American writer

Source: Call Me Irresistible

Love, Heart

“If the other fellow can't tell you his story, you can never be sure he isn't trying to kill you.”

Orson Scott Card book Ender's Game

Source: Ender's Game

“Anything I tell you is an alibi for something else."

Then let's be quiet together.”

Leonard Cohen (1934–2016) Canadian poet and singer-songwriter

Source: The Favorite Game

“My heart is sair-I dare na tell,
My heart is sair for Somebody.”

Robert Burns (1759–1796) Scottish poet and lyricist

Heart

“Tell me,” Isabelle said.“Who it was. That my father had the affair with.”

Cassandra Clare The City of Lost Souls

Source: City of Lost Souls

“I'll tell you this —
No eternal reward will forgive us now for wasting the dawn.”

Jim Morrison (1943–1971) lead singer of The Doors

"The Wasp (Texas Radio And The Big Beat)" on the albums L. A. Woman (1971) and An American Prayer (1978)
Variant: No heavenly power will forgive us now for wasting the dawn.

Forgiveness

“Truth is so rare, it is delightful to tell it.”

Emily Dickinson (1830–1886) American poet

Truth

“We sat around the kitchen table picking off of foil-covered plates. Conrad kept sneaking looks at me, and every time I looked back, he looked away. I'm right here, I wanted to tell him. I'm still here.”

Jenny Han (1980) American writer

Source: The Summer I Turned Pretty

Time

“What do you do there, moon, in the sky? Tell me what you do, silent moon. When evening comes you rise and go contemplating wastelands; then you set.”

Giacomo Leopardi (1798–1837) Italian poet, philosopher and writer

“Tell us please, what treatment in an emergency is administered by ear?"…. I met his gaze and I did not blink. "Words of comfort," I said to my father.”

Abraham Verghese book Cutting for Stone

Source: Cutting for Stone

“I did not know whether I would ever speak to her or not or, if I spoke to her, how I could tell her of my confused adoration. But my body was like a harp and her words and gestures were like fingers running upon the wires.”

James Joyce book Dubliners

Source: Dubliners

“Not likely!” Howl yelled. “I’m a coward. Only way I can do something this frightening is to tell my self I’m not doing it!”

Diana Wynne Jones book Howl's Moving Castle

Source: Howl's Moving Castle

Way

“I’m going to carry you now,” he told her, “so we can move even faster. I’m not asking you, I’m telling you. Any response from you is unnecessary and unwelcome.”

Suzanne Brockmann (1960) American writer

Source: Out of Control

“If you live today, you breath in nihilism… it's the gas you breathe. If I hadn't had the Church to fight it with or to tell me the necessity of fighting it, I would be the stinkingest logical positivist you ever saw right now.”

Flannery O’Connor (1925–1964) American novelist, short story writer

Fight

“When I leaned a little too close to the doorway, my inner voice piped up, telling me not to be stupid. The guy with the bionic senses was better equipped for this.”

Kelley Armstrong The Awakening

Source: The Awakening

Stupidity, Guy, Sense

“Katniss: 'What about you? Ive seen you in the market. You can lift hundred pound bags of flour'. I snap at him
Tell him that. Thats not nothing.
Peeta: Yes and Im sure the arena will be full of bags of flour for me to chuck at people.”

Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games

Source: The Hunger Games

People

“Perfection is the satin-lined casket of creativity and originality. If you are a perfectionist, at least stop telling everybody you're one and try to get over it yourself, alone in your home with the lights off”

Augusten Burroughs (1965) American writer

Source: This Is How: Proven Aid in Overcoming Shyness, Molestation, Fatness, Spinsterhood, Grief, Disease, Lushery, Decrepitude & More. For Young and Old Alike.

Home, Light, Perfection

“Tell me Zach.” I don’t know if it was the wind or the adrenaline, but I shivered. “And don’t lie to me.”

Ally Carter Out of Sight, Out of Time

Source: Out of Sight, Out of Time

Lie