A fool will study for twenty or thirty years and learn how to do something, but a wise man will study for twenty or thirty minutes and become an expert. In this world, it isn't ability that counts, but authority. — Barry Hughart Copy Share Image
The emotional health of a village depended upon having a man whom everyone loved to hate, and Heaven had blessed us with two of them. — Barry Hughart Copy Share Image
“The mind is a miser," he said. "Nothing is ever thrown away, and it's amazing what you can find if you dig deep enough.” — Barry Hughart Copy Share Image
I have never been able to understand why perfectly sensible people waste time being wittily obscure instead of just saying what they want and… — Barry Hughart Copy Share Image
“Master Li turned bright red while he scorched the air with the Sixty Sequential Sacrileges with which he had won the all-China Freestyle Blasphemy… — Barry Hughart Copy Share Image
I shall clasp my hands together and bow to the corners of the world. May your villages remain ignorant of tax collectors, and may… — Barry Hughart Copy Share Image
“Occasionally a moderately intelligent thought misses a turn and accidentally enters my mind” — Barry Hughart Copy Share Image
“Ox, at an early age a Chinese genius gazes at the path that lies ahead and reaches for a wine jar," Master Li said.… — Barry Hughart Copy Share Image
“everybody knows that the soul of a cat is formed from the composite souls of nine debauched nuns who failed in their vows.” — Barry Hughart Copy Share Image
“Ox, what occupation is most closely linked to insanity?' 'Emperor,' I said promptly.” — Barry Hughart Copy Share Image
“Nothing on the face of this earth - and I do mean nothing - is half so dangerous as a children's story that happens… — Barry Hughart Copy Share Image
“The problem with 'the crown jewel of Chinese literature' [Dream of the Red Chamber] is that it has two thousand pages and an equal… — Barry Hughart Copy Share Image
![“The problem with 'the crown jewel of Chinese literature' [Dream of the Red Chamber] is that it has two thousand pages and an equal number of characters, and the hero is an effeminate ass who should have either been spanked or decapitated, both ends being equally objectionable.” quote by Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9f5/barry-hughart-19013_books_the-problem-with-the-crown-jewel-of-chin_1270548.jpg)