Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by Peter Hedges

Quote by Peter Hedges

Work

What's Eating Gilbert Grape

The novel follows the life of Gilbert Grape, a teenager living in a small town, as he navigates the complexities of his family life, including his brother's mental illness and his own search for identity. Set in the 1950s, the story delves into the dynamics of family relationships and the challenges of growing up in a small community. more

Author

Peter Hedges
Peter Hedges

Peter Hedges is an American novelist known for his profound emotional depth and delicate narrative style. His works often explore themes of family, growth, and identity, and are highly appreciated by readers. more

You May Also Like

“Have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart. Try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books written in a foreign language. Do not now look for the answers. They cannot now be given to you because you could not live them. It is a question of experiencing everything. At present you need to live the question. Perhaps you will gradually, without even noticing it, find yourself experiencing the answer, some distant day.”

“My point in mentioning this is only to say that people who feel any sort of regret where you are concerned will suppose you are angry, and they will see anger in what you do, even if you're just quietly going about a life of your own choosing. They make you doubt yourself, which, depending on cases, can be a severe distraction and a waste of time. This is a thing I wish I had understood much earlier than I did.”

“Jesus, Dolores, you've got to get yourself together. You've got responsibilities. Think about those sometimes - okay? - and get your fucking head right." Those were the last words his wife heard from him. He'd closed the door and walked down the stairs, paused on the last step. He thought of going back. He thought of going back up the stairs and into the apartment and somehow making it right. Or, if not right, at least softer. Softer. That would have been nice.”