Sometimes the memory of happiness cannot stay true because it ended unhappily. Bernhard Schlink More Quotes by Bernhard Schlink More Quotes From Bernhard Schlink I did not know that children think the hard questions they ask are easy and thus expect easy answers to them, and that they are disappointed when they get cautious, complex answers. Bernhard Schlink answerschildrenthinking What is law? Is it what is on the books, or what is actually enacted and obeyed in a society? Or is law what must be enacted and obeyed, whether or not it is on the books, if things are to go right? Bernhard Schlink lawyerlawbook Now to escape involves not just running away, but arriving somewhere. Bernhard Schlink running-awayarrivingrunning The tectonic layers of our lives rest so tightly one on top of the other that we always come up against earlier events in later ones, not as matter that has been fully formed and pushed aside, but absolutely present and alive. I understand this. Nonetheless, I sometimes find it hard to bear. Bernhard Schlink layerseventsalive What a sad story, I thought for so long. Not that I now think it was happy. But I think it is true, and thus the question of whether it is sad or happy has no meaning whatever. Bernhard Schlink feeling-sadlongthinking In the past, I had particularly loved her smell. She always smelled freshed, freshly washed or of freshed laundry or fresh sweat or freshly loved Bernhard Schlink smellsweatpast The Odyssey is the story of motion both purposeful and purposeless, successful and futile. What else is the history of law? Bernhard Schlink successfullawstories It was more dangerous not to go; I was running the risk of becoming trapped in my own fantasies. So I was doing the right thing by going. She would behave normally, I would behave normally, and everything would be normal again. Bernhard Schlink riskwould-berunning I know that disavowal is an unusal form of betrayal. From the outside it is impossible to tell if you are disowning someone or simply exercising discretion, being considerate, avoiding embarrassments and sources of irritation. But you, who are doing the disowning, you know what you're doing. And disavowal pulls the underpinnings away from a relationship just as surely as other more flamboyant types of betrayal. Bernhard Schlink irritationbetrayalexercise It is hard for me to imagine that I felt good about behaving like that. I also remember that the smallest gesture of affection would bring a lump to my throat, whether it was directed at me or at someone else. Sometimes all it took was a scene in a movie. This juxtaposition of callousness and extreme sensitivity seemed suspicious even to me. Bernhard Schlink gesturesjuxtapositionaffection There's this old saying that, if you aren't particularly gifted in natural sciences, if you don't want to become a teacher or pastor or doctor, and don't know what else to do, then you become a lawyer. But I've never regretted it. Bernhard Schlink doctorswantteacher I can't say I'm thankful about being German because I sometimes experience it as a huge burden. But it is an integral part of me and I wouldn't want to escape it. I have accepted it. Bernhard Schlink acceptedwantsometimes As an author, you can't expect a movie to be an illustration of the book. If that's what you hope for, you shouldn't sell the rights. Bernhard Schlink illustrationrightsbook The past has to be remembered, so that it's never repeated. Bernhard Schlink rememberedpast Philosophy has forgotten about children Bernhard Schlink forgottenphilosophychildren As a citizen and someone who was a judge on the constitutional law court for 18 years, I feel whenever I can raise my voice with the hope of being heard I need to do it, but I wouldn't assign a special wisdom and responsibility to writers. Bernhard Schlink responsibilitylawyears why does what was beautiful shatter in hindsight because it concealed dark truths? Bernhard Schlink darkdoebeautiful Bravery is good when the cause is good. Bernhard Schlink causesbravery So I was still guilty. And if I was not guilty because one cannot be guilty of betraying a criminal, then I was guilty of having loved a criminal. Bernhard Schlink betrayguiltycriminals I didn't like the way I looked, the way I dressed and moved, what I achieved and what I felt I was worth. But there was so much energy in me, such belief that one day I'd be handsome and clever and superior and admired, such anticipation when I met new people and new situations. Is that what makes me sad? The eagerness and belief that filled me then and exacted a pledge from life that life could never fulfill? Sometimes I see the same eagerness and belief in the faces of children and teenagers and the sight brings back the same sadness I feel in remembering myself. Bernhard Schlink teenagercleverchildren
