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Quote by Joseph O'Connor

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Shadowplay

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Joseph O'Connor
Joseph O'Connor

Joseph O'Connor is an Irish novelist known for his profound character portrayal and rich narrative skills. His works often explore the relationship between individuals and society, history, and memory, and are highly appreciated by readers. more

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“Her blue eyes wavered as she blinked. He would never forget her shattered emotion at that moment. From her once shining heart, her once gleaming blue eyes—something had died. The blue eyes were now filled with unbearable disappointment and despair. It was at that night he bore witness to the fallen hope of his beloved someone—said hope died in his arms.”

LossDespairDisappointmentShatteredNo HopeDead EyesOnce Gleaming EyesOnce Shining Heart
Book:長い夜の国と最後の舞踏会 1 ～ひとりぼっちの公爵令嬢と真夜中の精霊～
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“How often on an expedition have I told myself, "That's enough!" and then a few weeks later when the effort, worry, and hardship were forgotten, I began dreaming about a new journey, planning a new climb. Pretty soon I'd be off again. And once again, it would be dangerous. I never intended to risk my neck, but I knew that if I were ever to stop dreaming or traveling I would be old. And that would drive me to despair.”

RiskDespairOld AgeChalenges
Book:My Life at the Limit
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“We don't get to say. Not if we want to save ourselves. We can't question everything. We have to be able to give the help that is asked for. Not what we think is needed. What is asked for. We justify ourselves with a thousand small acts of grace and charity. It's all meaningless. We want to be liked. To be liked. (He is staring out at the sea. He lifts one hand and lets it fall again) God. It goes beyond lacking all conviction. At the very core of despair is the conviction that convictions do not exist. That their reality exists solely in the claims of criminals and lunatics. I was on the beach last night and there was a bright light out to sea. I don't know what it was. A flare. Something. And I thought: What would happen if chaos should come? Would we be worse off? What if this were the sun misrisen at midnight. What if all order were suddenly in abeyance, the skies given over to the access of sudden random moons, everything mindless and migratory. So that all we knew was to be set aside and we found ourselves dwelling in a silent pandemonium. Would we be worse off? Would we be more damned under the transit of constellations unknown to us? What if we suddenly knew nothing? Nothing at all?”

DutyDespairMadnessEpistemology
Book:Whales and Men
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“Why should you care so much for Christminster?" she said pensively. "Christminster cares nothing for you, poor dear!" "Well, I do, I can't help it. I love the place — although I know how it hates all men like me — the so-called self-taught — how it scorns our laboured acquisitions, when it should be the first to respect them; how it sneers at our false quantities and mispronunciations, when it should say, I see you want help, my poor friend! ... Nevertheless, it is the centre of the universe to me, because of my early dream: and nothing can alter it. Perhaps it will soon wake up, and be generous. I pray so! ... I should like to go back to live there — perhaps to die there! In two or three weeks I might, I think. It will then be June, and I should like to be there by a particular day.”

DespairUnrequited LoveBrexit
Book:Jude the Obscure
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