"When I discovered that history is a fable, and a poor one at that, I started looking for a better fable, and found theology."

Halldór Laxness Literature See all quotes by Halldór Laxness →

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“o anyone who weeps, life has some importance.”

“It's a useful habit to never believe more than half of what people tell you, and not to concern yourself with the rest. Rather keep your mind free and your path your own.”

“My image will soon be obliterated; it was only an illusion. But even though I may fall, even though my image may be obliterated, there is one thing that will never fall and can never be obliterated, and that is the yearning of those in chains for liberty.”

“You should deny facts if they're inconvenient.”

“He who weeps does not die; weeping is a sign of life; weep, and your life is worth something again.”

“They thought I was an Icelander! But I'm no Icelander, s'help me!”

Resonant Thoughts

"I started to sing like myself — as opposed to imitating Nat Cole, which I had done for a while — when I started singing like Ray Charles, it had this spiritual and churchy, this religious or gospel so…"

— Ray Charles

Music1930–2004

#art

"Catholicity, the focus of this study, has long been recognized as an essential attribute of the Church of Christ and has been of particular concern to those churches which designate themselves as 'Cat…"

— Avery Dulles

Religion1918–2008

#time

"..the longer I am here Laren, the more beautiful it becomes for me and now that I feel myself more comfortable, I can judge it better.. .It is touching beautiful here , with a delicacy of lines and lo…"

— Anton Mauve

Art1838–1888

#beauty

"I insist upon 'doing it alone'. Much as I enjoyed making the trip there with Renoir as a tourist, I'd find it hard to work there together. I have always worked better alone and from my own impressions…"

— Claude Monet

Art1840–1926

#friendship