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Quote by Varlam Shalamov

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Kolyma Stories

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Author

Varlam Shalamov
Varlam Shalamov

Varlam Shalamov was a Russian writer known for his profound depiction of the Soviet labor camps. His works are generally categorized as literature and non-fiction. more

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“He might all the same do a little something for us. We’re on our backs, doesn’t He see?' 'I’m doing my best, I tell you,' said Father Julien. 'I pray and I pray and I pray . . .' 'Even we find a way of doing something for the may- beetles.’ 'You don’t give a damn about the may-beetles, you bastards,' said Father Julien. 'You do it out of pride. If you weren’t in a forced labor camp you’d step on may-beetles without even noticing their existence. This is something that happens in the head, not in the heart. You’re bursting with pride, that’s what it is.”

PrideSurvivalSurvivorsConcentration CampGods PlanConcentration CampsGods PresenceLabor CampHuman Pride
Book:The Roots of Heaven
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“Either it falls on your head like a roof tile or it attaches itself to your insides like a tapeworm. Afterward, you no longer see the world in the same way. You’ve got only one thing on your mind: the thing that has taken you over, body and soul. You want to lift it so you can see what’s under it. And from that point on, you can never turn back. Besides, you’re no longer giving the orders. You think you’re in control, doing what you want to do, but it’s not true. You’re nothing but the instrument of your own frustrations. For you, life and death come down to the same thing, Somewhere, you must have renounced everything that could have given you a chance of returning to earth, to the real world. You’re an extraterrestrial. You live in a kind of limbo, stalking houris and unicorns. As for this world, you don’t even want to hear about it anymore. You’re just waiting for the right moment to cross the threshold. The only way to get back what you’ve lost or to fix what you’ve screwed up -- in other words, the only way to make something of your life -- is to end it with a flourish. … The way you see it, the day of your funeral procession will be the day when you’re exalted in other people’s eyes.”

TerrorismTrue BelieverIsraeli Palestinian ConflictFundmentalism
Author:Yasmina Khadra
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“No matter my rational outlook of the universe as a scientist, I have great admiration for pastors who actively encourage their parishioners to look outside the christian tradition and garner a whole perspective of life. I feel a hearty closeness to these people of faith, which I cannot put in words. And believe you me, the number of such progressive faithworkers is increasing by leaps and bounds, which only reinforces my dream of a unified planet.”

ChristianChurchToleranceTheologyHumanistIntoleranceWholenessInterfaithReligious HarmonyFundmentalism
Book:Yaralardan Yangın Doğar: Explorers of Night are Emperors of Dawn
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“La destra è figlia legittima degli interessi egoistici dell'oggi. La sinistra degli interessi di coloro che non sono ancora nati. Dobbiamo essere conseguenti nell'uso del nostro tempo: dedichiamo almeno un'ora al giorno a discutere se debba andare in pensione a 57, a 58 o a 60 anni, ma solo qualche secondo a progettare una risposta al fatto che continua ad aumentare il numero dei bambini che vivono in famiglie al di sotto della linea di povertà relativa. C'è un patto fra le generazioni che dobbiamo avere il coraggio di non dimenticare.”

PoliticaDestraPatto GenerazionalePensioniSinistra
Author:Vittorio Foa
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