Crazy people made him crazy. It was as if he personally resented them giving into madness - in part, because he so… — John Irving Copy Share Image
Whereas she wished more of the population were better educated, she also believed that education was largely wasted on the majority of… — John Irving Copy Share Image
I have no respect for the right-to-life position. But when you legislate personal belief, you're in violation of freedom of religion. The… — John Irving Copy Share Image
Kids are beautiful, man. And they know much more than grownups think they know. Kids are just perfect people until grownups get… — John Irving Copy Share Image
I think better of our behaviour as individuals than I do when we see ourselves as members of a group. It's when… — John Irving Copy Share Image
What do Americans know about morality? They don't want their presidents to have penises but they don't mind if their presidents covertly… — John Irving Copy Share Image
Owen Meany believed that “coincidence” was a stupid, shallow refuge sought by stupid, shallow people who were unable to accept the fact… — John Irving Copy Share Image
There are always suicides among people who are unable to say what they mean. — John Irving Copy Share Image
It's not very interesting to establish sympathy for people who, on the surface, are instantly sympathetic. I guess I'm always attracted to… — John Irving Copy Share Image
I take people very seriously. People are all I take seriously, in fact. Therefore, I have nothing but sympathy for how people… — John Irving Copy Share Image
People are either attracted to the unseemly or disapproving of it, or both; yet we try to sound superior to the unseemly… — John Irving Copy Share Image
All his life he would hold this moment as exemplary of what love was. It was not wanting anything more, nor was… — John Irving Copy Share Image
Like many successful people he made good use of disappointments - responding to them with energy, with near-frenzied activity, rather than needing… — John Irving Copy Share Image
Is it a democratic society that condemns people to the accident of conception? What are we-monkeys? If you expect people to be… — John Irving Copy Share Image
You know, people think you have to be dumb to skip rope for 45 minutes. No, you have to be able to… — John Irving Copy Share Image
Your memory is a monster; you forget - it doesn't. It simply files things away. It keeps things for you, or hides things from… — John Irving Copy Share Image
… and so he tried to accept the ache in his heart as what Dr. Larch would call the common symptoms of normal life. — John Irving Copy Share Image
Watch out for people who call themselves religious; make sure you know what they mean––make sure they know what they mean! — John Irving Copy Share Image
The desire to never leave your side, the desire to never see you again. The desire to see your face asleep on the pillow… — John Irving Copy Share Image
I had been a student in Vienna, and one of the neat little things I had found out was about that zoo. It was… — John Irving Copy Share Image
“God, I think I just hit a high E-flat - and I really held it!" Esmeralda said, after one of her more prolonged orgasms,… — John Irving Copy Share Image
“Nostalgia!" Miss Frost cried. "You´re nostalgic!" She repeated. "Just how old are you, William?" She asked. "Seventeen, " I told her. "Seventeen!" Miss Frost… — John Irving Copy Share Image
“JUST BECAUSE A BUNCH OF ATHEISTS ARE BETTER WRITERS THAN THE GUYS WHO WROTE THE BIBLE DOESN'T NECESSARILY MAKE THEM RIGHT!" [Owen Meany] said… — John Irving Copy Share Image
It is much easier to be flexible about where a story begins than it ever was for me to change my mind about where… — John Irving Copy Share Image
“Only the chicken-lover will understand me. He will give me a kindly look, maybe mildly desirous. His eyes will tell me: You might look… — John Irving Copy Share Image
You're nice,' Cushie told him, squeezing his hand. 'And you're my oldest friend.' But they both must have known that you can know someone… — John Irving Copy Share Image
