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John Knowles Quotes

Novelist

John Knowles was an American novelist born on September 16, 1926, and passed away on November 29, 2001. Known for his profound psychological portrayals and insights into American social issues, his works include the classic novel 'A Separate Peace'.

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All Separate Peace A Separate Peace John Knowles People Tree World Friendship Ifs Phineas Mean

Famous John Knowles Quotes

“Sarcasm... the protest of those who are weak.”

Weak Protest Sarcasm

Author:John Knowles

“Stranded in this mill town railroad yard while the whole world was converging elsewhere, we seemed to be nothing but children playing among heroic men.”

Men World Children Whole Peace Towns Whole World Heroic Elsewhere Yards Mills Railroads Children Playing Stranded Separate Peace

Book:A Separate Peace

Source: A Separate Peace

“the scornful force of his tone turned the word into a curse”

Force Curse Tone Separate Peace

Book:A Separate Peace

Source: A Separate Peace

“As I walked briskly out the road the wind knifed at my face, but this sun caressed the back of my neck.”

Faces Sun Wind Necks

Book:A Separate Peace

Source: A Separate Peace

“There was no harm in taking aim, even if the target was a dream.”

Ifs Dream Aim Harm Target

Book:A Separate Peace

Source: A Separate Peace

“It seemed clear that wars were not made by generations and their special stupidities, but that wars were made instead by something ignorant in the human heart”

Humans Heart Made War Clear Generations Special Stupidity Ignorant Human Heart Separate Peace

Book:A Separate Peace

Source: A Separate Peace

“Always say some prayers at night because it might turn out that there is a God.”

Might Night Turns Prayer Separate Peace

Book:A Separate Peace

Source: A Separate Peace

“What I mean is, I love winter, and when you really love something, then it loves you back, in whatever way it has to love.”

Way Mean Love You Winter Winter Love

Book:A Separate Peace

Source: A Separate Peace

“Everyone has a moment in history which belongs particularly to him.”

Moments Separate Peace

Book:A Separate Peace

Source: A Separate Peace

“Everything has to evolve or else it perishes.”

Evolve

Book:A Separate Peace

Source: A Separate Peace

“It was hard to remember in the heavy and sensual clarity of these mornings; I forgot whom I hated and who hated me. I wanted to break out crying from stabs of hopeless joy, or intolerable promise, or because these mornings were too full of beauty for me, because I knew of too much hate to be contained in a world like this.”

World Hard Wanted Remember Joy Hate Break Morning Too Much Cry Promise Heavy Clarity Sensual Hated Hopeless Break Out

Author:John Knowles

“But I was used to finding something deadly in things that attracted me; there was always something deadly lurking in anything I wanted, anything I loved.”

Wanted Used Findings Lurking Separate Peace

Book:A Separate Peace

Source: A Separate Peace

“I did no know everything there was to know about myself, and knew that I did not know it.”

Knows

Book:A Separate Peace

Source: A Separate Peace

“Never say you are five feet nine when you are five feet eight and a half" was the first one I encountered. Another was, "Always say some prayers at night because it might turn out that there is a God.”

Firsts Might Night Turns Prayer Half Five Feet Eight Nine

Book:A Separate Peace

Source: A Separate Peace

“But something held me back. Perhaps I was stopped by that level of feeling, deeper than thought, which contains the truth.”

Feelings Levels Deeper Separate Peace

Book:A Separate Peace

Source: A Separate Peace

“There are special, strange gifted people in the world and they have to be treated with understanding”

People World Understanding Special Acceptance Strange Treated Gifted

Author:John Knowles

“As I said, this was my sarcastic summer. It was only long after that I recognized sarcasm as the protest of people who are weak.”

People Long Said Summer Weak Protest Sarcasm Sarcastic Separate Peace

Book:A Separate Peace

Source: A Separate Peace

“So the more things remain the same, the more they change after all.”

Peace Separate Peace

Author:John Knowles

“You have to do what you think is the right thing, but just make sure it’s the right thing in the long run, and not just for the moment.”

Thinking Long Moments Running Right Thing Long Runs

Book:A Separate Peace

Source: A Separate Peace

“I knew that part of friendship consisted in accepting a friend’s shortcomings, which sometimes included his parents.”

Sometimes Parent Accepting Shortcomings

Book:A Separate Peace

Source: A Separate Peace

“I never killed anybody and I never developed an intense level of hatred for the enemy. Because my war ended before I ever put on a uniform; I was on active duty all my time at school; I killed my enemy there.”

War School Levels Enemy Duty Hatred Active Intense My Time Uniforms Separate Peace

Book:A Separate Peace

Source: A Separate Peace

About the Author

Born: September 16, 1926
Died: November 29, 2001
Known for: Novelist
Quotes: 71

Books & Sources

A Separate PeaceRelated source material

A stolen pastRelated source material

Peace Breaks OutRelated source material

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