'Immortality is only for the gods,' he whispered. 'I wonder how they can stand it.' — Barry Hughart Death Copy Share Image
“...the problem with poetic justice is that it never knows when to stop.” — Barry Hughart Justice Copy Share Image
“Occasionally a moderately intelligent thought misses a turn and accidentally enters my mind” — Barry Hughart Humorous-quotations Copy Share Image
“Ox, what occupation is most closely linked to insanity?' 'Emperor,' I said promptly.” — Barry Hughart Emperor Copy Share Image
“Boy, just look at the soul shining through my eyes! It’s like a goddamned flower!” — Barry Hughart Shining eyes Copy Share Image
Blessed are the idiots, for they are happiest people on earth. — Barry Hughart Blessed Copy Share Image
“Of course there is a slight chance that somebody might want to give the Celestial Bookmaker a heart attack.” — Barry Hughart Heart attack Copy Share Image
The supernatural can be very annoying until one finds the key that transforms it into science," he observed mildly... "Come on, Ox,… — Barry Hughart Annoying 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… — Barry Hughart Able Copy Share Image
Error can point the way to truth, while empty-headedness can only lead to more empty-headedness or to a career in politics. — Barry Hughart Careers 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… — Barry Hughart Deep 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… — Barry Hughart Three years 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… — 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… — 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… — Barry Hughart Books Copy Share Image
“Nothing on the face of this earth - and I do mean nothing - is half so dangerous as a children's story… — Barry Hughart Children Copy Share Image
“O great and mighty Master Li, pray impart to me the Secret of Wisdom!" he bawled. "Take a large bowl," I said.… — Barry Hughart Thousand years Copy Share Image
“Ginseng hunters refer to the plant as chang-diang shen, “the root of lightning,” because it is believed that it appears only on… — Barry Hughart Human Ginseng 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,… — Barry Hughart Age Copy Share Image
“Key Rabbit, allow me to bore you with a comparison of your wife and a beautiful woman," I said. "In the morning… — Barry Hughart Beautiful woman Copy Share Image
“...the emotional health of a village depended upon having a man whom everyone hated.” — Barry Hughart Emotional health Copy Share Image
Don't be ashamed of reliving your childhood, Ox, because all of us must do it now and then to maintain our sanity. — Barry Hughart Ashamed 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… — Barry Hughart Blessed Copy Share Image
“I shall clasp my hands together and bow to the corners of the world.” — Barry Hughart Hands together Copy Share Image
Fable has strong shoulders that carry far more truth than fact can. — Barry Hughart Fable Copy Share Image
“Show me a quest for personal immortality and I'll show you a path through a slaughterhouse, and the incense of personal divinity… — Barry Hughart Adventure Copy Share Image
A fool will study for twenty or thirty years and learn how to do something, but a wise man will study for… — Barry Hughart Ability Copy Share Image
Our senses are woefully limited. Our brains are but tiny candles flickering in an infinity of darkness. Our only wisdom is to… — Barry Hughart Brain Copy Share Image
“Master Li, how are we going to murder a man who laughs at axes?" I asked. We are going to experiment ,… — Barry Hughart Alchemy Copy Share Image
“Alas, great is my sorrow. Your name is Ah Chen, and when you were born I was not truly pleased. I am… — Barry Hughart Hands together 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)
