--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: HOLLY: Are you suggesting I occasionally…" description: "\"HOLLY: Are you suggesting I occasionally stray from the rule book? FOALY: No. I'm suggesting you do not own a copy of the rule book, and if you do, you..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/324/eoin-colfer-736_book_holly-are-you-suggesting-i-occasionally_258565.png" --- # HOLLY: Are you suggesting I occasionally stray from the… ![“HOLLY: Are you suggesting I occasionally stray from the rule book? FOALY: No. I'm suggesting you do not own a copy of the rule book, and if you do, you have certainly never opened it.” quote by Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/324/eoin-colfer-736_book_holly-are-you-suggesting-i-occasionally_258565.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/324/eoin-colfer-736_book_holly-are-you-suggesting-i-occasionally_258565.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/324/eoin-colfer-736_book_holly-are-you-suggesting-i-occasionally_258565.png) > “HOLLY: Are you suggesting I occasionally stray from the rule book? FOALY: No. I'm suggesting you do not own a copy of the rule book, and if you do, you have certainly never opened it.” [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A character questions that without the rule book, one can act freely, but also lacks guidance. **In simple terms:** Without rules you can act, but lack direction. Key Takeaway Know when to follow or break rules. Themes freedom authority knowledge responsibility Mood playful thoughtful Type literary dialogue When to use this quote - making decisions - creative work - leadership - learning new skills Key Concepts rules agency ethical dilemmas Questions to Reflect On - When is it better to follow rules? - How do you find guidance without a rule book? A Different Perspective Ignoring rules can lead to chaos or unintended consequences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Holly short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holly-short/) ## Related quotes > [“Maybe I owe you something too, human," she said, drawing her pistol. Butler almost reacted, but decided to give Holly the benefit of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/maybe-i-owe-you-something-too-human-she-said-drawing-her-pistol/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [Friendship isn't a science mudboy. Just do what you think is right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/friendship-isn-t-a-science-mudboy-just-do-what-you-think-is-right/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [She can't afford to commit more troops,' Holly whispered. 'The gate is her priority, and she needs to have as many Berserkers watching her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/she-can-t-afford-to-commit-more-troops-holly-whispered-the-gate-is/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [“It looks like you've found an intellectual equal, Mulch," said Holly. "It's a pity he isn't a girl; then you could marry him." Mulch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/it-looks-like-you-ve-found-an-intellectual-equal-mulch-said-holly-it/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [So if you're not Artemis Fowl, then who are you?" The boy extended a dripping hand straight up. "My name is Orion. I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/so-if-you-re-not-artemis-fowl-then-who-are-you-the-boy-extended-a/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [“This might hurt a little is universal code for this will definitely hurt a lot”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/this-might-hurt-a-little-is-universal-code-for-this-will-definitely/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [“Perhaps we can win, he thought. But there will be no happy ending”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/perhaps-we-can-win-he-thought-but-there-will-be-no-happy-ending/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [I can't imagine what they're planning. But I can tell you two things. We won't like it, and it won't be legal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/i-can-t-imagine-what-they-re-planning-but-i-can-tell-you-two-things/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [Holly frowned at her. "Glad to see you've forgiven yourself so quickly." "Harboring feelings of guilt can have a negative affect on mental health."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/holly-frowned-at-her-glad-to-see-you-ve-forgiven-yourself-so-quickly/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [I'm LEP. A captain. No rent-a-cop gnome is going to stand in the way of my orders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/i-m-lep-a-captain-no-rent-a-cop-gnome-is-going-to-stand-in-the-way-of/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [“The boy who kidnapped Holly Short all those years ago would never have entertained the notion of sacrificing himself. But he was no longer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/the-boy-who-kidnapped-holly-short-all-those-years-ago-would-never/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [I'm not threatening you. I'm just informing you of police procedure. If you continue to obstruct me, I remove the obstruction, in this case…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/i-m-not-threatening-you-i-m-just-informing-you-of-police-procedure-if/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [Ah, my princess. Noble steed. How does the morning find you both?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/ah-my-princess-noble-steed-how-does-the-morning-find-you-both/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [I'm the crazy girly captain, Remember?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/i-m-the-crazy-girly-captain-remember/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [A CD. How quaint. We have these in museums.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/a-cd-how-quaint-we-have-these-in-museums/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) ## More by Eoin Colfer > [There’s always time for babbling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/there-s-always-time-for-babbling/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [And I will not be beaten by that jackass." "Jackass?" said Foaly, wounded. "My favorite uncle is a jackass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/and-i-will-not-be-beaten-by-that-jackass-jackass-said-foaly-wounded/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [Thankfully the rest of the world assumed that the Irish were crazy, a theory that the Irish themselves did nothing to debunk. They had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/thankfully-the-rest-of-the-world-assumed-that-the-irish-were-crazy-a/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [The craft's occupants clutched their armrests, and more than one of them closed their eyes. But not Artemis. He couldn't. There was something morbidly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/the-craft-s-occupants-clutched-their-armrests-and-more-than-one-of/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [Tea? At the beach? No time for luxuries, Holly. There is important work to be done.” He winked at Butler. “Are you sure you’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/tea-at-the-beach-no-time-for-luxuries-holly-there-is-important-work/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [Wait," said Butler. "Just wait, Holly. Artemis has a plan." He squinted through the green dome. "What is your plan, Artemis?" All Artemis could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/wait-said-butler-just-wait-holly-artemis-has-a-plan-he-squinted/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [Holly is alive,' thought Foaly 'My princess lives,'exulted Orion. 'And we're chasing a dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/holly-is-alive-thought-foaly-my-princess-lives-exulted-orion-and-we/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [“There were only two men on the planet better educated in the various martial arts than Butler, and he was related to one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/there-were-only-two-men-on-the-planet-better-educated-in-the-various/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [If Elmore Leonard met Jim Thompson down a dark alley at midnight they might emerge a week later with thick beards, bloodshot eyes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/if-elmore-leonard-met-jim-thompson-down-a-dark-alley-at-midnight-they/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [Sig Sauer. Nine millimetres. Thirteen in the magazine. Big bullets. One of these hits you and it could blow your head off; something even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/sig-sauer-nine-millimetres-thirteen-in-the-magazine-big-bullets-one/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [“I feel him near in the twist of me guts. It's something I've always been able to do. --The Reluctant Assassin”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/i-feel-him-near-in-the-twist-of-me-guts-it-s-something-i-ve-always/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [Onscreen, Foaly rubbed his eyelids with his index fingers. "Yeah, yeah. Here we go. Captain Short goes rogue once more. Hands up who's surprised.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/onscreen-foaly-rubbed-his-eyelids-with-his-index-fingers-yeah-yeah/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [(about his terrible attempt at making a sandwich) It's more difficult than it looks. (Artemis Fowl)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/about-his-terrible-attempt-at-making-a-sandwich-it-s-more-difficult/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [Play along, the wink said. I'll get you out of this. At least Artemis hoped this was what his wink communicated and not something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/play-along-the-wink-said-i-ll-get-you-out-of-this-at-least-artemis/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [“ It's now or never , thought Otto. Now, now! thought Witmeyer. And so Ram kissed Thundercat, and suddenly neither bed of roses nor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/it-s-now-or-never-thought-otto-now-now-thought-witmeyer-and-so-ram/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) [Explore all 371 Eoin Colfer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "HOLLY: Are you suggesting I occasionally stray from the rule book? FOALY: No. I'm suggesting you do not own a copy of the rule book, and if you do, you have certainly never opened it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eoin Colfer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/holly-are-you-suggesting-i-occasionally-stray-from-the-rule-book/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/holly-are-you-suggesting-i-occasionally-stray-from-the-rule-book/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/324/eoin-colfer-736_book_holly-are-you-suggesting-i-occasionally_258565.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/324/eoin-colfer-736_book_holly-are-you-suggesting-i-occasionally_258565.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/324/eoin-colfer-736_book_holly-are-you-suggesting-i-occasionally_258565.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“HOLLY: Are you suggesting I occasionally stray from the rule book? FOALY: No. I'm suggesting you do not own…” — Eoin Colfer", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Eoin Colfer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "HOLLY: Are you suggesting I occasionally...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/holly-are-you-suggesting-i-occasionally-stray-from-the-rule-book/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/holly-are-you-suggesting-i-occasionally-stray-from-the-rule-book/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```