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Love Quote by Philip Pullman

“And at half past nine in the evening at that restaurant table in Portugal,” Mary continued, “someone gave me a piece of marzipan and it all came back. And I thought: am I really going to spend the rest of my life without ever feeling that again? I thought: I want to go to China. It’s full of…” quote by Philip Pullman
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““And at half past nine in the evening at that restaurant table in Portugal,” Mary continued, “someone gave me a piece of marzipan and it all came back. And I thought: am I really going to spend the rest of my life without ever feeling that again? I thought: I want to go to China. It’s full of treasures and strangeness and mystery and joy. I thought, Will anyone be better off if I go straight back to the hotel and say my prayers and confess to the priest and promise never to fall into temptation again? Will anyone be the better for making me miserable? “And the answer came back—no. No one will. There’s no one to fret, no one to condemn, no one to bless me for being a good girl, no one to punish me for being wicked. Heaven was empty. I didn’t know whether God had died, or whether there never had been a God at all. Either way I felt free and lonely and I didn’t know whether I was happy or unhappy, but something very strange had happened. And all that huge change came about as I had the marzipan in my mouth, before I’d even swallowed it. A taste—a memory—a landslide...””

Philip Pullman

About This Quote

Source Novel: The Book of Dust, 2013

The narrator reflects on a fleeting taste that triggers existential thoughts about freedom, faith, and identity.

In simple terms: A bite of marzipan sparks deep questioning of belief and self.

Key Takeaway

Embrace moments that prompt self‑examination.

Themes

existential faith identity freedom

Mood

introspective melancholic

Type

philosophical literary

When to use this quote

  • travel decisions
  • spiritual crisis
  • creative inspiration

Key Concepts

philosophy memory sensory triggers

Questions to Reflect On

  • What does this taste symbolize for you?
  • How do you reconcile freedom with loneliness?
A Different Perspective

Such epiphanies can be disorienting and lack clear direction.

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