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Quote by Anne Tyler

Work

Back when We Were Grownups: A Novel

This novel delves into the lives of adults reflecting on their past and the choices that shaped their present, offering a nuanced look at the journey from childhood to maturity. more

Author

Anne Tyler
Anne Tyler

Anne Tyler is a renowned American contemporary novelist, born on October 25, 1941. Her works are known for their delicate psychological portrayals and unique narrative style, and she has won numerous American literary awards. more

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“I did not understand that she was hiding her feelings under irony, that this is usually the last refuge of modest and chaste-souled people when the privacy of their soul is coarsely and intrusively invaded, and that their pride makes them refuse to surrender till the last moment and shrink from giving expression to their feelings before you. to have guessed the truth from the timidity with which she had repeatedly approached her sarcasm, only bringing herself to utter it at last with an effort.”

“I guess the most amazing thing about crying though is that when you're in it, you think it'll go on forever but it never really lasts half what you think. Not in terms of real time. In terms of real emotions, it's worse than you think, but not by the clock.”

“Because it is a monopoly, government brings inefficiency and stagnation to most things it runs; government agencies pursue the inflation of their budgets rather than the service of their customers; pressure groups form an unholy alliance with agencies to extract more money from taxpayers for their members. Yet despite all this, most clever people still call for government to run more things and assume that if it did so, it would somehow be more perfect, more selfless, next time.”