Grown-ups

“Dunno. Why do you think she’s scared of anything? She’s a grown-up, isn’t she? Grown-ups and monsters aren’t scared of things.” “Oh, monsters are scared,” said Lettie. “That’s why they’re monsters. And as for grown-ups . . .” She stopped talking, rubbed her freckled nose with a finger. Then, “I’m going to tell you something important. Grown-ups don’t look like grown-ups on the inside either. Outside, they’re big and thoughtless and they always know what they’re doing. Inside, they look just like they always have. Like they did when they were your age. The truth is, there aren’t any grown-ups. Not one, in the whole wide world.” 

Neil Gaiman: The Ocean at the End of the Lane

Jsem neobyčejně sympatický

Jsem neobyčejně sympatický. Jen málo lidí bylo kdy sympatičtějších. Má sympatičnost je naprosto nekonečná. Lidé pořádají celé konference, na kterých debatují o tom, jak jsem báječný. Mám několik cen a dokonce medaili z jedné malé země v Jižní Americe, která oslavuje moji oblíbenost a všeobecnou úžasnost.

Neil Gaiman: Anansiho chlapci

Careful archivation

Doctor: There aren't any old control rooms. They are deleted or remodeled.
Tardis: I archive them. I've got about 30 now.
Doctor: I've only changed the desktop about dozen times.
Tardic: So far, yes.
Doctor: You can't archive something that hasn't happened yet!

The Doctor's Wife, epizoda z BBC seriálu Doctor Who, scénář napsal Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself).

Kind of silence

He heard nothing, only silence. But a specific kind of silence. There are, as Fat Charlie once imagined, many kind of silences. Graves have their own silence, space has its silence, mountaintops have theirs. This was a hunting silence. It was a stalking silence. In this silence something moved on velvet-soft pads, with muscles like steel springs coiled beneath soft fur; something the color of shadows in the long grass; something that would ensure that you heard nothing it did not wish you to hear. I was a silence that was moving from side to side in front of him, slowly and relentlessly, and with every arc it was getting closer.

Neil Gaiman: Anansi Boys

Phone call

"Morris? Where are you calling from?"

"It's a bit complicated," he said. "I mean, I'm not actually on the phone. Just really wanted to help you along."

"Grahame Coats," she said. "He was a crook."

"Yes, love," said Morris. "But it's time to let all that go. Put it behind you."

"He hit me on the back of the head," she told him. "And he's been steeling our money."

"It's only material things, love," said Morris, reassuringly. "Now you're beyond vale. ..."

"Morris," said Maeve. "That pestilent little worm attempted to murder your wife. I do think you should try to show a little more concern."

"Don't be like that, love. I'm just trying to explain. ..."

"I have to tell you, Morris, that if you're going to take that kind of attitude, I'll simply deal with this myself. I'm certainly not going to forget about it. It's all right for you, you're dead. You don't have to worry about these things."

"You're dead, too, love."

Neil Gaiman: Anansi Boys

A když už jsme u toho, nedávno vyšel pěkný rozhovor s Neil Gaimanem, o psaní, o twitteru, goth legendách, jeho ženě Amandě Palmer a vůbec. Nenechte si ho ujít.

All you need to wear a hat is attitude

He put the hat onto Fat Charlie's head. "It suits you," he said.

Fat Charlie sighed. "Dad. I don't wear hats. It'll look stupid. I'll look a complete tit. Why do you always try to embarrass me?"

In the fading light the old man looked at his son. "You think I'd lie to you? Son, all  you need to wear a hat is attitude. And you got that. You think I'd tell you you looked good if you didn't? You look real sharp. You don't believe me?"

Fat Charlie said, "Not really."

"Look," said his father. He pointed over the side of the bridge. The water beneath them was still and smooth as a mirror, and the man looking up at him from the water looked real sharp in his new green hat.

Neil Gaiman: Anansi Boys

Když už jsme u vztahu rodičů a dětí, pokud máte trochu času pusťte si rozhovor (MP3) Neila Gaimana a jeho dcery Maddy.

Nothing can beat dragons

Ilustrace z Flickru od Babbletrish (Tricia Arnold)

The Dragon laughed, scornfully. "I," it said, "am frightened of nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing," it said.

Charlie said, "Are you extremely frightened of nothing?"

"Absolutely terrified of it," admitted the Dragon.

"You know," said Charlie, "I have nothing in my pockets. Would you like to see it?"

Neil Gaiman: Anansi Boys

Nothing happened

Nothing happened. Nothing continued to happen. More Nothing. The Return of Nothing. Son of Nothing. Nothing Rides Again. Nothing and Abbott and Costello meet the Wolfman...

Neil Gaiman: Anansi Boys

Káva pro labužníky

"How do you take your coffee?"

"Dark as night, sweet as sin."

Neil Gaiman: Anansi Boys

Věnování na úvod

Když něco čtu, občas narazím na zajímavý citát, o který se chci podělit. Jenže Twitter je na to zpravidla moc krátký a Facebook až příliš plný. Dnes jsem na to vyzrál ... Budu to dávat sem.

Pokud chcete, aby k vám čas od času doputoval citát, který vás upozorní na zajímavou myšlenku, nebo třeba na celou zajímavou knížku, sledujte tenhle blog pravidelně, ať už přes RSS nebo - pokud máte posterous účet - tak přes Subscribe ve sloupci napravo.

A jak začít jinak než věnováním. Originálním věnováním, které najdete v knize Neil Gaimana Anansi Boys:

You know how it is. You pick up a book, flip

to the dedication, and find that, once again, the author

has dedicated a book to someone else and not to you.

Not this time.

Because we haven't yet met/have only a glancing

acquaintance/are just crazy about each other/ haven't seen

each other in much long/are in some way related/will

never meet, but will I trust, despite that, always thing

fondly of each other. ...

This one's for you.

With you know what, and you probably know why.

Stejně jako Neil Gaiman svou knížku, i já věnuji tento blog vám. První citace je sice v angličtině, ovšem nebojte, bude tu dost citací (a dost možná i většina) v češtině. Podle toho, co zrovna budu číst...