Pennac Book Quotes & Sayings

The fate of the young man in his headphones, who faced a jail cell that very night, did not seem such a world away from his own predicament: an anniversary party full of academics. — Zadie Smith

A well-chosen book saves you from everything, including yourself. — Daniel Pennac

The study of law left me unsatisfied, because I did not know the aspects of life which it serves. I perceived only the intricate mental juggling with fictions that did not interest me. — Karl Jaspers

Affected simplicity is a subtle imposture. — Francois De La Rochefoucauld

I was almost twelve years old when I decided to kill my parents. — Armando Lucas Correa

Rather than allowing a book's intelligence to speak through our mouths, we replace it with our own intelligence as we talk about it. Rather than acting as emissary for the book, we become guardians of the temple, boasting of its wonders in the very words that slam shut it's doors: Reading matters! Reading matters! — Daniel Pennac

He was an echo chamber for all books, the physical incarnation of words, the book made human. — Daniel Pennac

Once a book falls into our possession, it is ours, the same way children lay their claim: 'That's my book.' As if it were organically part of them. That must be why we have so much trouble returning borrowed books. It's not exactly theft (of course not, we're not thieves, what are you implying?); it's simply a slippage in ownership or, better still, a transfer of substance. That which belonged to someone else becomes mine when I look at it. And if I like what I read, naturally I'll have difficulty giving it back. — Daniel Pennac

We owe the government taxes. We owe our creditors interest. What do these powers owe us? — Anna Deavere Smith

A leader's job is not just to get the best out of their people-a leader's job is to make more leaders. — Simon Sinek

You just push it down and function until the day you meet someone who sparks something stronger than what's left." ~ Mia — Ava Gray

Everything you need to get that relaxed driving that brings consistency only comes with practice. — John Surtees

When I read something, I want to be surprised. So I read something and go, "Wow, I never, ever would have thought of playing this kind of role. This is exciting me, let's go do this." — Guy Pearce

We keep quiet about what we read. Our enjoyment of a book remains a jealously guarded secret. Perhaps because there's no need to talk, or because it takes time to distill what we've read before we can say anything. Silence is our guarantee of intimacy. We might have finished reading but we're still living
the book. — Daniel Pennac

Whom the gods notice they destroy. — Philip K. Dick

There are a number of things wrong with Washington. One of them is that everyone is too far from home. — Dwight D. Eisenhower