“a school-vacation skier is never the equal to a north-country native.” — John Irving Skier Copy Share Image
“...where our desires "come from"; that is a dark, winding road.” — John Irving Desire Copy Share Image
“Because I was a Wheelwright-and, therefore, a New England snob-I'd assumed that Phoenix was largely composed of Mormons and Baptists and Republicans;” — John Irving Religion Copy Share Image
“the public entertainment of any period distinguishing the period as clearly as its so-called politics,” — John Irving Politics Copy Share Image
The ability to see the future can be a burden, and the younger you are and the more isolated you feel, maybe… — John Irving Ability Copy Share Image
… but only because exhaustion is a life-sign; it is at least a form of being human. — John Irving Being human Copy Share Image
Among adults – and among orphans – Wilbur Larch noted that delirious happiness was rare. — John Irving Adults Copy Share Image
In a school community, someone who reads a book for some secretive purpose, other than discussing it, is strange. What was she… — John Irving Book Copy Share Image
What has been violated here is your freedom of choice, and every woman's freedom of choice, too. — John Irving Abortion Copy Share Image
“he smoked so much marijuana that his hair smelled like a cupboard crammed with oregano;” — John Irving Marijuana Copy Share Image
There's a lot of ignorance about how long it takes to write a novel. There's a lot of ignorance about how long… — John Irving Copy Share Image
Anybody can do research. The plotting of the novel, writing the ending before you write anything else, which I always do -… — 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
Sigmund Freud was a novelist with a scientific background. He just didn't know he was a novelist. All those damn psychiatrists after… — John Irving Copy Share Image
“According to my mother, I was a fiction writer before I'd written any ficton, by wich she meant not only that I… — John Irving Fiction writer Copy Share Image
“There is no excuse for cruelty, but--at an orphanage--perhaps we are obliged to withhold love; if you fail to withhold love at… — John Irving Love Copy Share Image
I had a particular affinity for wrestling, and it did have a lot to do with being small and being combative -… — John Irving Affinity 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
And Father said, “There are no happy endings.” “Right!” cried Iowa Bob – an odd mixture of exuberance and stoicism in his… — John Irving Belief Copy Share Image
“Some producer actually told Franny that profanity revealed a poor vocabulary and a lack of imagination. And Frank and Lilly and Father… — John Irving Profanity Copy Share Image
“The Winkles appeared to greet the morning vigorously. Although Homer had never heard human beings make love, or moose mate, he knew… — John Irving Love Copy Share Image
“Dr. Larch bent over him and kissed him, very lightly, on his lips. Homer heard Dr. Larch whisper, ‘Good work, Homer.’ He… — John Irving Copy Share Image
“THAT IS WHERE THIS COUNTRY IS HEADED—IT IS HEADED TOWARD OVERSIMPLIFICATION. YOU WANT TO SEE A PRESIDENT OF THE FUTURE? TURN ON… — John Irving Copy Share Image
“to the things that are unseen; for the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal,’”… — John Irving Courage Copy Share Image
“Homer Wells, listening to Big Dot Taft, felt like her voice – dulled. Wally was away, Candy was away, and the anatomy… — John Irving Hard Workers Copy Share Image
“...but I suddenly realized what small towns are. They are places where you grow up with the peculiar -- you live next… — John Irving Small towns Copy Share Image
A personal injustice is stronger motivation than any instinct for philanthropy. — John Irving Injustice Copy Share Image
Gender mattered a whole lot less to Shakespeare than it seems to matter to us. — John Irving Gender Copy Share Image
There are always suicides among people who are unable to say what they mean. — John Irving Copy Share Image
“There are always suicides," Garp wrote, "among people who are unable to say what they mean".” — John Irving Suicide Copy Share Image
