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Quote by Pat Conroy

“I had ambushed myself by believing, to the letter, my parents' definition of me. They had defined me early on, coined me like a word they have translated on some mysterious hieroglyph, and I had spent my life coming to terms with that specious coinage. My parents had succeeded in making me a stranger to myself. They had turned me into the exact image of what they needed at the time, and because there was something essentially complaisant and orthodox in my nature, I allowed them to knead and shape me into the smooth lineaments of their nonpareil child.”

Quote by Pat Conroy

Work

The Prince of Tides

A poignant narrative that delves into the complex dynamics of a family dealing with mental illness and the search for healing and connection. more

Author

Pat Conroy
Pat Conroy

Pat Conroy was a renowned American author, born on October 26, 1945, and passed away on March 4, 2016. His works are known for their deep character portrayals and vivid Southern backgrounds, with notable titles including 'The Water Is Wide' and 'The Great Santini'. more

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“He turned to Mrs. Liu. "My dear Sister, don't underestimate this little fellow. He might turn out to be a general one day!" "A general?" Mrs. Liu snorted. "In this world you're doing all right if you don't starve. I couldn't care less whether or not he becomes a high-ranking official." "What do you want to be when you grow up boy?" Lai Ming-sheng asked Liu Ying. "Commander in Chief of the Army!" Nose in the air, Liu Ying answered in all seriousness.”

“Ma già, per lei, la scintilla del desiderio si era spenta, lasciandola stupita, calma e fredda; quei baci, quell’ebbrezza, quella parvenza di amore, tutto ciò che le era tanto piaciuto assumeva di colpo ai suoi occhi una colorazione sordida, appariva una povera cosa, priva di azzardo e di grandezza, un gioco alquanto spregevole, insomma, che poteva ancora stuzzicare i sensi, ma sotto sotto, furtivamente, e proprio per questo perdeva il suo potere.”

“They had reached the top of a hill. Drogo turned back to look at the city against the light. Plumes of smoke were rising from roofs. He saw his own house in the distance. He identified the window of his room. It was probably open; the women were tidying up. They would strip the bed, put things away in the closet, then bolt the shutters. For months and months no one would enter, except for the patient dust and on sunny days faint streaks of light. There, shut up in darkness, would lie the little world of his boyhood. His mother would preserve it so that on his return he would find everything the same, enabling him to remain a boy in that room, even after his long absence. She was no doubt deluding herself; she believed she could preserve intact a happiness that had vanished forever, holding back the flight of time, so that when doors and windows were reopened at her son's return, things would revert to the way they were before.”

“I’ve had enough of this.’ Romana began to gather her belongings, ‘I’m…’ ‘No, don’t go!’ Hector mocked her. ‘You tell me what it’s like.’ ‘Is that all you think of me? Aren’t you going to even give me an answer?’ ‘I think you should take a good look at yourself, Romana. I don’t think I can help you.’ Romana flew off the sofa in a rage. ‘You’re un-fucking-believable.’ Hector sniggered. ‘You could change. You know that? It’s not too late.”

“Già certi attimi erano impercettibilmente meno soavi, come una musica tenera e lieta che, a poco a poco, ci rattrista e ci stanca. Una cortina d’ombra, adesso, velava certi giorni. Erano passati ormai i momenti di pura gioia. Stavano raggiungendo l’istante in cui felicità e tristezza si fondono in un’oscura convergenza e d’ora in avanti saranno mescolate l’una all’altra come due fiumi che hanno fatto confluire i loro corsi.”