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Tove Jansson

Tove Jansson Quotes

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Famous Tove Jansson Quotes

“Hattifatteners," Hodgkins said. "Electrical sailing." "Hattifatteners," I whispered excitedly. "Traveling and traveling and never getting there..." "Thunderstorms charge them," Hodgkins said. "Sting like nettles." "And they live a wicked life," the Joxter informed. "A wicked life?" I repeated with interest. "How?" "I don't quite know," said the Joxter. "Trampling down people's gardens and drinking beer, and so on, I suppose." We sat there for a long time looking after the Hattifatteners sailing out toward the horizon. I felt a strange desire to join them on their voyage and share their wicked life. But I didn't say it.”

MoominsHattifattenersMoominpappa
Author:Tove Jansson
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“Small animals are a great problem. I wish God had never created small animals, or else that He had made them so they could talk, or else that He'd given them better faces. Space. Take moths. They fly at the lamp and burn themsleves, and then they fly right back again. It can't be instinct, because it isn't the way it works. They just don't understand, so they go right on doing it. Then they lie on their backs and all their legs quiver, and then they're dead. Did you get all that? Does it sound good?" "Very good," Grandmother said. Sophia stood up and shouted, "Say this: say I hate everything that dies slow! Say I hate everything that won't let you help! Did you write that?”

ChildrenRelationshipsGrandparents
Book:The Summer Book
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“We've decided to wake a miss for you because you are nice. We want a booby as roomful as ours." Everybody had seen the Hobgoblin laugh, but nobody believed he could smile. He was so happy that you could see it all over him -- from his hat to his boots! Without a word he waved his cloak over the grass -- and behold! Once more the garden was filled with a pink light and there on the grass before them lay a twin to the King's Ruby -- the Queen's Ruby.”

KindnessGenerosityWishes FulfilledPrecious StonesKing S RubyHobgoblin
Book:Finn Family Moomintroll
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“Fancy that! What fun! Coming all this way just to see me!" "Well -- we didn't exactly," began Moomintroll, clambering ashore. "Never mind!" answered Snufkin. "The main thing is that you're here. You'll stay the night, won't you?" "We should love to," said Moomintroll. "We haven't seen a soul since we left home, and that was ages ago. Why in the world do you live here in this desert?" "I'm a tramp, and I live all over the place," answered Snufkin. "I wander about, and when I find a place that I like I put up my tent and play my mouth-organ.”

WanderersVagabondsSnufkin
Book:Comet in Moominland
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“Clever of you, Hemul. But, on the other hand, think how lonely the Groke is because nobody likes her, and she hates everybody. The Contents is perhaps the only thing she has. Would you now take that away from her too -- lonely and rejected in the night?" Sniff became more and more affected and his voice trembled. "Cheated out of her only possession by Thingumy and Bob." He blew his nose and couldn't go on.”

LonelinessGroke
Book:Finn Family Moomintroll
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“The Groke looked at the hat. Then she looked at Thingumy and Bob. Then she looked at the hat again. You could see that she was thinking with all her might. Then suddenly she snatched the hat and, without a word, slithered like ann icy grey shadow into the forest. It was the last time she was seen in the Valley of the Moomins, and the last they saw of the Hobgoblin's Hat, too. At once the colors became warmer again and the garden was filled with the sounds and scents of summer.”

LonelinessMonstersColdnessGrokeThe Hobgoblin S Hat
Book:Finn Family Moomintroll
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“Once a year the Hattifatteners collect there before setting out again on their endless foraging expedition round the world. They come from all points of the compass, silent and serious with their small, white empty faces, and why they hold this yearly meeting it is difficult to say, as they can neither hear nor speak, and have no object in life but the distant goal of their journey's end. Perhaps they like to have a place where they feel at home and can rest a little and meet friends.”

DriftingRoamingDriftersForagingRestless SpiritsHattifatteners
Book:Finn Family Moomintroll
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“Men hatifnattar slåss aldrig, lika lite som de säger emot en eller tycker illa om en eller tycker nånting alls, överhuvudtaget. De kom fram för att buga en efter en, i hundratal, och pappan tog hatten av sig och bugade tills han fick ont i huvudet och undratals tassar viftade tills pappan också började vifta med tassarna av ren trötthet. När den sista hatifnatten gått förbi hade mumintrollets pappa helt och hållet glömt att han haft lust att slåss. Han var bara artig och utslätad och följde efter genom det viskande gräset med hatten i tassen.”

HatifnattarMumintrollets Pappa
Book:Det osynliga barnet
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“Kampsu on aasi, hän ajatteli. Hömppä rouva, joka ei osaa ajatella muuta kuin teekakkuja ja tyynynpäällisiä. Hän ei ymmärrä edes mitään kukista. Ja kaikkein vähiten hän ymmärtää minua. Nyt hän istuu kotonaan ja luulee, etten minä ole koskaan kokenut mitään. Minähän koen jokapäivä maailmanlopun ja kuitenkin pukeudun ja riisuudun ja syön ja pesen asioita ja pidän teekutsuja aivan kuin ei mitään olisi tapahtunut!”

MuumitTove JanssonVilijonkka
Author:Tove Jansson
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“All the other stars keep to their courses, and go along just like trains on their rails, but comets can go absolutely anywhere; they pop up here and there wherever you least expect them." "Like me," said Snufkin, laughing. "They must be sky-tramps!" Moomintroll looked disapprovingly at him. "It's nothing to laugh at," he said. "It would be a terrible thing if a comet hit the earth.”

CometsTrampsVagabondsSnufkin
Book:Comet in Moominland
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“As they pushed through the door a remarkable sight met their eyes: the Muskrat was sitting in the fork of a tree eating a pear. "Where's mother?" asked Moomintroll. "She's trying to get your father out of his room," replied the Muskrat, bitterly. "This is what comes of collecting plants. I've never quite trusted that Hemulen. Well, I hope the Muskrat heaven is a peaceful place, because I shan't be here much longer.”

IngratitudeBotanyMuskratPlant Collecting
Book:Finn Family Moomintroll
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“Moomintroll bent down to wake the Snork Maiden up, and then he noticed a terrible thing. Her beautiful fluffy fringe was burnt right off. It must have happened when the Hattifatteners brushed against her. What could he say? How could he comfort her? It was a catastrophe! The Snork Maiden opened her eyes and smiled. "Do you know," said Moomintroll hastily, "it's most extraordinary, but as time goes on I'm beginning to prefer girls without hair?" "Really?" she said with a look of surprise. "Why is that?" "Hair looks so untidy!" replied Moomintroll.”

HairBad Hair Day
Book:Finn Family Moomintroll
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“The spring evenings had grown long, and it was hard to darken the room. They sat in their separate chairs and waited for Fassbinder, their silence a respectful preparation. They had waited this way for their meetings with Truffaut, Bergman, Visconti, Renoir, Wilder, and all the other honored guests that Jonna had chosen and enthroned–the finest present she could give her friend.”

CinemaWilderFair PlayBergmanRenoirFassbinderVisconti
Book:Fair Play
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“The hemulen woke up slowly and recognised himself and wished he had been someone he didn't know. He felt even tireder than when he went to bed, and here it was -- another day which would go on until evening and then there would be another one and another one which would be the same as all days are when they are lived by a hemulen. He crept under the bedcover and buried his nose in the pillow, then he shifted his stomach to the edge of the bed where the sheets were cool. He took possession of the whole bed with outstretched arms and legs he was waiting for a nice dream that wouldn't come. He curled up and made himself small but it didn't help a bit. He tried being the hemulen that everybody like, he tried being the hemulen that no one liked. But however hard he tried he remained a hemulen doing his best without anything really coming off. In the end he got up and pulled on his trousers. The Hemulen didn't like getting dressed and undressed, it gave him a feeling that the days passed without anything of importance happening. Even so, he spent the whole day arranging, organising and directing things from morning till night! All around him there were people living slipshod and aimless lives, wherever he looked there was something to be put to rights and he worked his fingers to the bone trying to get them to see how they ought to live. It's as though they don't want to live well, the Hemulen thought sadly as he brushed his teeth. He looked at the photograph of himself with his boat which was been taken when the boat was launched. It was a beautiful picture but it made him feel even sadder. I ought to learn how to sail, the Hemulen thought. But I've never got enough time... Moominvalley in November Chapter 5, THE HEMULEN”

HemulenMoomin
Book:Moominvalley in November
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