Russell Hoban

Life is a process of one goneness after another.

— Russell Hoban

The things that matter don't necessarily make sense.

— Russell Hoban

“If we'd been edible we'd never have lasted this long.”

— Russell Hoban

When you suffer an attack of nerves you're being attacked by the nervous system. What chance has a man got against a…

— Russell Hoban

I believe that most of us would like to be thought well of by horses.

— Russell Hoban

“We've tried the other way; we've tried making both things and people It, and we've seen the results.”

— Russell Hoban

I have no wisdom and nothing useful to tell you - I only mentioned this because it came into my head.

— Russell Hoban

“Destiny is not to be trifled with. Do not commit the tragic error of satisfying present appetite at the cost of future…

— Russell Hoban

“But more and more I think that madness is the world's natural condition and to expect anything else is madness compounded.”

— Russell Hoban

My generation was somewhat between things, neither free nor much supported by whatever held us in.

— Russell Hoban

There must be a lot of people in the world being wondered about by people who don't see them anymore.

— Russell Hoban

Time's arrow, we are told, is a one-way thing. . . Memory's arrow, like the needle of a compass too close to…

— Russell Hoban

Who is Alice?" asked mother. "Alice is somebody that nobody can see," said Frances. "And that is why she does not have…

— Russell Hoban

“All roads, whether long or short, are hard," said Frog. "Come, you have begun your journey, and all else necessarily follows from…

— Russell Hoban

The zoo is a prison for animals who have been sentenced without trial and I feel guilty because I do nothing about…

— Russell Hoban

Sometimes there's nothing but Sundays for weeks on end. Why can't they move Sunday to the middle of the week so you…

— Russell Hoban

The Zoo is a prison for animals who have been sentenced without trial and I feel guilty because I do nothing about…

— Russell Hoban

“A turtle doesn't have to decide every morning whether to keep on bothering, it just carries on. Maybe that's why man kills…

— Russell Hoban

And now it seems she's on my wavelength. That's all I need. My mind isn't much of a comfort to me but…

— Russell Hoban

“I've seen a film in which Dr Lorenz pointed out the difference between two colonies of cattle egrets, one free and one…

— Russell Hoban

“Sometimes I think that the biggest difference between men and women is that more men need to seek out some terrible lurking…

— Russell Hoban

“Eusa 13. Eusa was angre he was in rayj & he kep pulin on the Littl Man the Addoms owt strecht arms.…

— Russell Hoban

“Every body knows Aunty. Stoan boans and iron tits and teef be twean her legs plus she has a iron willy for…

— Russell Hoban

“Too-lateness, I realized, has nothing to do with age. Too-lateness is potentially every moment. Or not, depending on the person and the…

— Russell Hoban

“Before the motorcar replaced the horse, and for some years after there were many illustrators who drew horses with the same authority…

— Russell Hoban

“Ready to cry ready to dy ready for any thing is how I come to it now. In fear and tremmering only…

— Russell Hoban

The first thing I would say to young writers is, "Don't do it, unless you can't stand not to do it." And…

— Russell Hoban

If reality had a stage door I'd hang around there to see what comes out after the show.

— Russell Hoban

“Looking at them words going down on this paper right this minim I know there aint no such thing there aint no…

— Russell Hoban

“Wel you know 1ce the kids start singing at you thats a cern kynd of track youre on nor there aint too…

— Russell Hoban

The sign said 'The Green Turtle, Chelonia myadas, is the source of turtle soup…' I am the source of William G. soup…

— Russell Hoban

Sometimes I think that the biggest difference between men and women is that more men need to seek out some terrible lurking…

— Russell Hoban

“Seed of the little Seed of the wyld Seed of the berning is Hart of the chyld . . . Out goes…

— Russell Hoban

An idea is an eye given by God for the seeing of God. Some of these eyes we cannot bear to look…

— Russell Hoban

“I said, 'Yes theres a lot to look a head to. Like croaking iron at Widders Dump. We do the croaking and…

— Russell Hoban

“A frightening thought had been growing in me. I'd always assumed that I was the central character in my own story but…

— Russell Hoban

“Where are we?' the mouse child asked his father. His voice was tiny in the stillness of the night. 'I don't know'…

— Russell Hoban

I'd always assumed I was the central character in my own story, but now it occured to me I might in fact…

— Russell Hoban

“We can't all be investigating non-coding DNA," I said, feeling an upsurge of gastric acid. "Some of us have to sell bullshit…

— Russell Hoban

“What do you do when you're wound up?' she asked. 'Do you play that drum?'. 'No,' said the child. 'We used to…

— Russell Hoban