“The beastliness of human nature is always pretty normal. We lie and betray and are wanting in imagination and deceive ourselves, always, at about the same rate.” — Ford Madox Ford Copy Share Image
“And Tietjens, who hated no man, in face of this simple-minded and agreeable schoolboy type of fellow, fell to wondering why it was that humanity that was next to always agreeable in its units was, as a mass, a phenomenon… — Ford Madox Ford Copy Share Image
New York is large, glamorous, easy-going, kindly and incurious, but above all it is a crucible - because it is large enough to be… — Ford Madox Ford Copy Share Image
“You can't kill a minuet de la coeur. You may shut up the music book... but surely the minuet-- the minuet itself is dancing… — Ford Madox Ford Copy Share Image
“You see in such a world as this, an idealist -or perhaps it's only a sentimentalist-must be stoned to death. He makes the others… — Ford Madox Ford Copy Share Image
“A gentleman in those days consulted his heirs about tree planting. Should you plant a group of copper beeches against a group of white maples over against the ha-ha a quarter of a mile from the house so that the contrast seen from the ball-room windows should be agreeable—in thirty years’ time? In those days thought, in families, went in… — Ford Madox Ford Copy Share
“How was it possible that the most honourable man she knew should be so overwhelmed by foul and baseless rumours? It made you suspect… — Ford Madox Ford Copy Share Image
It is not merely that people must die and people must suffer, if not here, then there. But what is dreadful is that the… — Ford Madox Ford Copy Share Image
“But upon my word, I don't know how we put in our time. How does one put in one's time? How is it possible… — Ford Madox Ford Copy Share Image
In every man there are two minds that work side by side, the one checking the other; thus emotion stands against reason, intellect corrects… — Ford Madox Ford Copy Share Image
“No, by God, it is false! It wasn't a minuet that we stepped; it was a prison - a prison full of screaming hysterics,… — Ford Madox Ford Copy Share Image
Damn it all, it's the first duty of a soldier - it's the first duty of all Englishmen - to be able to tell… — Ford Madox Ford Copy Share Image
“Yes, society must go on; it must breed, like rabbits. That is what we are here for. But then, I don't like society—much.” — Ford Madox Ford Copy Share Image
“The signal for the train's departure was a very bright red; that is about as passionate a statement as I can get into that… — Ford Madox Ford Copy Share Image
