--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Who but the devil lives like a king in…" description: "\"“Who but the devil lives like a king in the middle of hell”\" — James Patterson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/190/james-patterson-171_devil_who-but-the-devil-lives-like-a-king-in-t_1394110.png" --- # Who but the devil lives like a king in the middle of hell ![“Who but the devil lives like a king in the middle of hell” quote by James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/190/james-patterson-171_devil_who-but-the-devil-lives-like-a-king-in-t_1394110.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/190/james-patterson-171_devil_who-but-the-devil-lives-like-a-king-in-t_1394110.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/190/james-patterson-171_devil_who-but-the-devil-lives-like-a-king-in-t_1394110.png) > ““Who but the devil lives like a king in the middle of hell”” [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A metaphorical statement about evil thriving in harsh conditions while appearing regal. **In simple terms:** Evil can seem powerful even in terrible places. Key Takeaway Beware of hidden dangers behind appealing facades. Themes evil illusion power Mood cautionary thought‑provoking Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - political analysis - ethical debates - personal relationships Key Concepts moral decay psychology of evil Questions to Reflect On - How do you identify true character in adversity? - What signs reveal hidden malevolence? A Different Perspective May be overly dramatic or vague. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/king/) ## Related quotes > [“If you're in middle of the hell you have to be a creature sometimes...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-saravana-kumar/if-you-re-in-middle-of-the-hell-you-have-to-be-a-creature-sometimes/) M Saravana Kumar > [The devil lives in a double-shot", Roman explains himself obscurely. "I got a great worm inside. Gnaws and gnaws. Every day I drown him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-algren/the-devil-lives-in-a-double-shot-roman-explains-himself-obscurely-i/) [Nelson Algren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-algren/) > [“His trickery was beginning to get under my crawl. Then again, what wasn’t in this country? It was always devil this and devil that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carroll-bryant-year-of-the-cat/his-trickery-was-beginning-to-get-under-my-crawl-then-again-what-wasn/) Carroll Bryant Year of the Cat > [“The Devil Lives Within...But So Does The Angel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-devil-lives-within-but-so-does-the-angel/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Marriage. The beginning and the end are wonderful. But the middle part is hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enid-bagnold/marriage-the-beginning-and-the-end-are-wonderful-but-the-middle-part/) [Enid Bagnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enid-bagnold/) > [“It was heaven - right smack in the middle of hell.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/it-was-heaven-right-smack-in-the-middle-of-hell/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [The devil lives in our mistakes, the lord lives in our rights. Who lives in our ignorance, and who wins after all?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-devil-lives-in-our-mistakes-the-lord-lives-in-our-rights-who/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Goodness can be found sometimes in the middle of hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/goodness-can-be-found-sometimes-in-the-middle-of-hell/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [Unfortunately, I didn't get to know Paolo Montero that well. He was someone else who lived like a king at night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giorgio-chiellini/unfortunately-i-didn-t-get-to-know-paolo-montero-that-well-he-was/) [Giorgio Chiellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giorgio-chiellini/) > [His background and knowledge can't be transplanted overnight, ... I'd make a point that unless you sat on the throne, you don't know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeri-ryan/his-background-and-knowledge-can-t-be-transplanted-overnight-i-d-make/) [Jeri Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeri-ryan/) > [Just as a flower needs the sun to bloom fully, I need you by my side to live life as a Queen, while I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/just-as-a-flower-needs-the-sun-to-bloom-fully-i-need-you-by-my-side/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Work like a slave; command like a king; create like a god.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/constantin-brancusi/work-like-a-slave-command-like-a-king-create-like-a-god/) [Constantin Brancusi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/constantin-brancusi/) > [Muddy Waters was, like, the king! He had a lot of adopted sons and daughters. I was just happy to be one of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-cray/muddy-waters-was-like-the-king-he-had-a-lot-of-adopted-sons-and/) [Robert Cray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-cray/) > [Treat her like a ''princess. :) and She will treat you like a ''king. ¥](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-jay/treat-her-like-a-princess-and-she-will-treat-you-like-a-king/) [Eddy Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-jay/) > [“Work like a horse live like a king”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/palash/work-like-a-horse-live-like-a-king/) [Palash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/palash/) ## More by James Patterson > [It was a little weird that they were friends. But then, maybe freaks just tended to find each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/it-was-a-little-weird-that-they-were-friends-but-then-maybe-freaks/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [“The next forty-five minutes in that office was about as much fun as a day at Disney World—when it’s pouring rain. And all there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/the-next-forty-five-minutes-in-that-office-was-about-as-much-fun-as-a/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [As we go through this transition where a lot more people will be reading on devices, nobody is paying enough attention to make sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/as-we-go-through-this-transition-where-a-lot-more-people-will-be/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [Max—you have a bigger mission than finding the flock's parents. Focus on helping the whole world, not just your friends. I held my wings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/max-you-have-a-bigger-mission-than-finding-the-flock-s-parents-focus/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [You're lying through your fangs," Iggy accused. Fang tried to play innocent--but "innocent Fang" is an oxymoron, so it didn't work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/you-re-lying-through-your-fangs-iggy-accused-fang-tried-to-play/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [There are reasons people seek escape in books, and one of those reasons is that the boundary of what can happen is beyond what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/there-are-reasons-people-seek-escape-in-books-and-one-of-those/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [I shot him the bird. (Get it? I shot him the—never mind.)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/i-shot-him-the-bird-get-it-i-shot-him-the-never-mind/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [I get up every morning and chop wood, and I pretty much do it seven days a week, and I like to do it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/i-get-up-every-morning-and-chop-wood-and-i-pretty-much-do-it-seven/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [Witihin seconds the headhunter had lost control of his car and it squealed, sliding sideways right into several other cars. Cool!' said the Gasman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/witihin-seconds-the-headhunter-had-lost-control-of-his-car-and-it/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [“It was scary. More than Sara could possibly know. More than anybody ought to know, or ever would. History wasn't for the general public--it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/it-was-scary-more-than-sara-could-possibly-know-more-than-anybody/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [Did I want a dog? No. Did I need a dog? Also no. We were six kids running for our lives, not knowing where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/did-i-want-a-dog-no-did-i-need-a-dog-also-no-we-were-six-kids-running/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [I'm a girl who has been tamping down her emotions and keeping them tightly guarded her whole life. And that works really well for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/i-m-a-girl-who-has-been-tamping-down-her-emotions-and-keeping-them/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [When my son, Jack, was four, I had to make a trip to Los Angeles. I asked him if he was going to miss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/when-my-son-jack-was-four-i-had-to-make-a-trip-to-los-angeles-i-asked/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [“that kid’s nothing but a little hoodlum.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/that-kid-s-nothing-but-a-little-hoodlum/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [Jeezum—humans were like eggshells.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/jeezum-humans-were-like-eggshells/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) [Explore all 983 James Patterson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) ## More Devil quotes > [“The Devil can cite Scripture for his purpose, Sergeant,’ Anthony Payne replied. ‘That is from The Merchant of Venice, but it holds great truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-arnold/the-devil-can-cite-scripture-for-his-purpose-sergeant-anthony-payne/) Michael Arnold > [Alimony - the ransom that the happy pay to the devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/alimony-the-ransom-that-the-happy-pay-to-the-devil/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [“Beauty is not only a terrible thing, it is also a mysterious thing. There God and the Devil strive for mastery, and the battleground…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/beauty-is-not-only-a-terrible-thing-it-is-also-a-mysterious-thing/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [The devil has been defeated, stop trying to defeat him. What we have left is the fight of faith, and it's a good fight!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-oyakhilome/the-devil-has-been-defeated-stop-trying-to-defeat-him-what-we-have/) [Chris Oyakhilome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-oyakhilome/) > [You gonna take the case?" It's not a case. It's a missing person. Sort of." You're gonna have a devil of a time finding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/you-gonna-take-the-case-it-s-not-a-case-it-s-a-missing-person-sort-of/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [Your head's like mine, like all our heads; big enough to contain every god and devil there ever was. Big enough to hold the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-morrison/your-head-s-like-mine-like-all-our-heads-big-enough-to-contain-every/) [Grant Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-morrison/) > [And so it is, that both the Devil and the angelic Spirit present us with objects of desire to awaken our power of choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/and-so-it-is-that-both-the-devil-and-the-angelic-spirit-present-us/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [Remember that Abraham Lincoln was a Whig far longer than he was a Republican. As a whole, the Whigs looked upon banks and corporations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-c-guelzo/remember-that-abraham-lincoln-was-a-whig-far-longer-than-he-was-a/) [Allen C. Guelzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-c-guelzo/) > [Wine is the first weapon that devils use in attacking the young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-jerome/wine-is-the-first-weapon-that-devils-use-in-attacking-the-young/) [St. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-jerome/) > [“I tend to agree with that little devil more and more these days.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-casey/i-tend-to-agree-with-that-little-devil-more-and-more-these-days/) [Elle Casey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-casey/) > [This is the gift of your species and this is the danger, because you do not choose to control your imaginings. You imagine wonderful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/this-is-the-gift-of-your-species-and-this-is-the-danger-because-you/) [Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/) > [“The devil?” Jason heaved the tick over his shoulder like a collier with his sack. “Satan. The adversary. The enemy of the plan of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/the-devil-jason-heaved-the-tick-over-his-shoulder-like-a-collier-with/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [God never talks. But the devil keeps advertising, Father. The devil does a lot of commercials.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/god-never-talks-but-the-devil-keeps-advertising-father-the-devil-does/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [If it was a sin for you to choose me . . . then I would go to the Devil himself and bless him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/if-it-was-a-sin-for-you-to-choose-me-then-i-would-go-to-the-devil/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [“The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist”—Charles Baudelaire “The second greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-baudelaire/the-greatest-trick-the-devil-ever-pulled-was-convincing-the-world-he/) [Charles Baudelaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-baudelaire/) [Browse all 4,283 Devil quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Who but the devil lives like a king in the middle of hell”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Patterson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/who-but-the-devil-lives-like-a-king-in-the-middle-of-hell/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Devil" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/who-but-the-devil-lives-like-a-king-in-the-middle-of-hell/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/190/james-patterson-171_devil_who-but-the-devil-lives-like-a-king-in-t_1394110.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/190/james-patterson-171_devil_who-but-the-devil-lives-like-a-king-in-t_1394110.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/190/james-patterson-171_devil_who-but-the-devil-lives-like-a-king-in-t_1394110.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Who but the devil lives like a king in the middle of hell” — James Patterson", "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": "James Patterson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Who but the devil lives like...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/who-but-the-devil-lives-like-a-king-in-the-middle-of-hell/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/who-but-the-devil-lives-like-a-king-in-the-middle-of-hell/#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 } } ] } ```