“As an author, you can't expect a movie to be an illustration of the book. If that's what you hope for, you shouldn't sell the rights.” IfsBookRightsSellsIllustration Author:Bernhard Schlink
“What is law? Is it what is on the books, or what is actually enacted and obeyed in a society? Or is law what must be enacted and obeyed, whether or not it is on the books, if things are to go right?” IfsBookLawLawyer Book:The Reader Source: The Reader
“I thought that if the right time gets missed, if one has refused or been refused something for too long, it's too late, even if it is finally tackled with energy and received with joy. Or is there no such thing as "too late"? Is there only "late," and is "late" always better than "never"? I don't know.” IfsKnowsLongJoyEnergyLateToo LateRight Time Author:Bernhard Schlink
“I know that disavowal is an unusal form of betrayal. From the outside it is impossible to tell if you are disowning someone or simply exercising discretion, being considerate, avoiding embarrassments and sources of irritation. But you, who are doing the disowning, you know what you're doing. And disavowal pulls the underpinnings away from a relationship just as surely as other more flamboyant types of betrayal.” IfsKnowsFormImpossibleSourceTypeExerciseBetrayalAvoidingEmbarrassmentDiscretionIrritationConsiderateFlamboyantBe ConsiderateDisowning Book:The Reader Source: The Reader
“Why? Why does what was beautiful suddenly shatter in hindsight because it concealed dark truths? Why does the memory of years of happy marriage turn to gall when our partner is revealed to have had a lover all those years? Because such a situation makes it impossible to be happy? But we were happy! Sometimes the memory of happiness cannot stay true because it ended unhappily. Because happiness is only real if it lasts forever? Because things always end painfully if they contained pain, conscious or unconscious, all along? But what is unconscious, unrecognized pain?” IfsYearsDoeRealEndsSometimesPainLastsBeautifulTurnsMemoriesDarkSituationForeverImpossibleLoversConsciousPartnersUnconsciousConcealedHindsightStay TrueHappy Marriage Author:Bernhard Schlink
“I took all the blame. I admitted mistakes I hadn't made, intentions I'd never had. Whenever she turned cold and hard, I begged her to be good to me again, to forgive me and love me. Sometimes I had the feeling that she hurt herself when she turned cold and rigid. As if what she was yearning for was the warmth of my apologies, protestations, and entreaties. Sometimes I thought she just bullied me. But either way, I had no choice.” IfsWayMadeSometimesHardFeelingsChoicesHurtMistakeColdAnd LoveBlameForgivingIntentionBe GoodWarmthYearningApologyBulliedForgive Me Book:The Reader Source: The Reader
“I asked her about life, and it was as if she rummaged around in a dusty chest to get me the answers.” IfsAnswersChests Author:Bernhard Schlink
“People who commit monstrous crimes are not necessarily monsters. If they were, things would be easy. But they aren't and it is one of the experiences of life.” PeopleIfsWould BeEasyCrimeMonstersCommitMonstrous Author:Bernhard Schlink
“What should our second generation have done, what should it do with the knowledge of the horrors of the extermination of the Jews? We should not believe we can comprehend the incomprehensible, we may not compare the incomparable, we may not inquire because to inquire is to make the horrors an object of discussion, even if the horrors themselves are not questioned, instead of accepting them as something in the face of which we can only fall silent in revulsion, shame and guilt. Should we only fall silent in revulsion, shame and guilt? To what purpose?” IfsShouldBelieveMayDoneFacesPurposeFallAcceptingGenerationsObjectsHorrorShameGuiltSilentJewCompareDiscussionIncomparableExterminationRevulsionShame And Guilt Book:The Reader Source: The Reader
“So I was still guilty. And if I was not guilty because one cannot be guilty of betraying a criminal, then I was guilty of having loved a criminal.” IfsStillsCriminalsGuiltyBetrayNot Guilty Book:The Reader Source: The Reader
“There's this old saying that, if you aren't particularly gifted in natural sciences, if you don't want to become a teacher or pastor or doctor, and don't know what else to do, then you become a lawyer. But I've never regretted it.” IfsKnowsWantNaturalTeacherDoctorsLawyerGiftedPastorNatural ScienceOld SayingNever Regret Author:Bernhard Schlink
