James Clavell quotes: wise famous quotes, sayings and quotations by James Clavell

James Clavell Famous Quotes & Sayings

Discover top inspirational quotes from James Clavell on Wise Famous Quotes.

The word of God surpasses earthly orders.

If you're a sailor, best not know how to swim. Swimming only prolongs the inevitable - if the sea wants you and your time has come.

That's the first rule of survival in enemy waters: volunteer nothing.

You're a cruel, cold-gutted, heartless bastard but you've got majesty, no doubt about that.

We have a saying that time has no single measure, that time can be like frost or lightning or a tear or siege or storm or sunset, or even like a rock.

The search for the truth is the most important work in the whole world, and the most dangerous.

Who knows what tomorrow will bring
Tomorrow is in the hands of God
Tomorrow will be a lovely day.

The subject of the chapter is not what we might expect from the title.

Christianity is a religion. Not a political ideology.

Isn't man but a blossom taken by the wind, and only the mountains and the sea and the stars and this Land of the Gods real and everlasting?

And damned nomads in Mesopotamia have again cut the telegraph - another expeditionary force is being organized to deal with them once and for all!

I'm saying that some men are saints. Some are happy being meek and humble and unambitious. Some men are born content to be second-best.

Tomorrow does not exist. There is only now.

Only merchants have money to waste, and what are they but parasites who create nothing, grow nothing, make nothing but feed off another's labor?

Let's piss on the bargain.

Isn't man but a blossom taken by wind, and only the mountains and the sea and the stars and this land of the gods everlasting?

You never know ... that's what makes life interesting.

In war and in peace, a good enemy can be more valuable than a good ally.

A man's fate is a man's fate and life is but an illusion.

You don't know for certain about God until you're dead.

How can a man be so brave and so stupid, so gentle and so cruel, so warming and so detestable
all at the same time?

It is simple to catch a man, all you need to know is the right bait.

What is pain to a man? A privilege!

Money means nothing to a real man.

You must learn to control the filth of your tongue, my son. It will send you to hell.

All stories have a beginning, a middle and an ending, and if they're any good, the ending is a beginning.

What are clouds, but an excuse for the sky? What is life, but an escape from death?

I send you my laughter. May Buddha bless thee and thine.

Life and death are the same ... Leave karma to karma.

God gives us intelligence to uncover the wonders of nature. Without the gift, nothing is possible.

Kogo, the goshawk, fluttered on his wrist and settled herself, watching him. Toranaga smiled at her. I did not choose to be what I am. It is my karma.

I'll thank you to remember that not so many years ago men were burned at the stake just for saying the earth went round the sun!

Without privacy, civilized life could not exist.

So much of "normal, civilized" life is bull that you can't imagine ... What frightens you, doesn't frighten me, what frightens me, you'd laugh at.

Horses are far worse than men for treachery...

It is sometimes wise to be abstract.

There is no need to fear. We are all in God's hands.

You can find friends in manure, sometimes, my son.

It is not wise to notice another man's woman.

What you do with strangers is ignore them for. No second chance, no sorry I did it, never accept an apology, but never, ever get angry with strangers.

The sky
Scorched by the sun,
Weeps
Fecund tears.

Reminding himself to remember forever that the pen's a long arm from the grave.

Anger is something you should only vent in front of intimates, and friends and relations. Never be angry in front of strangers because you lose face.

Listen, if you want peace you must learn to drink cha from an empty cup.

Death and life are the same thing. This is the immutable law of nature.

It's only Christian to be chivalrous to your enemies.

Only by living at the edge of death can you understand the indescribable joy of life.

There is no dignity for either the sufferer or the torturer

The sun dances in her and she has an immense joy of life

The more I know, the more sure I am I know so little. The eternal paradox.

It's good for a man to get drunk once in a while. It releases all the evil spirits.

Men don't apologize to ladies. Whatever they do is correct.

You must be patient before you criticize.

Patience is important for a man, vital for a leader

Isn't it only laughter we can stay human?

It's always important to take time to study men
important men. Friends and enemies.

How beautiful life is and how sad! How fleeting, with no past and no future, only a limitless now.

For a woman, old age is never pretty.

Secrets never leave you in peace, however much you wish or pray.

Guard yourself and your conscience no one else will and know that a bad decision at the right time can destroy you far more surely than any bullet!

His mind docketing the important things for future transcription.

When a man's pride is injured, death is a small price to repay the insult.

Gods are like people. They believe anything if you tell them right way.

It's unseemly to criticize without knowledge.

Damn what you like, Pieterzoon. But don't damn liquor. It's the stuff of life!

There are seven emotions, neh? Joy, anger, anxiety, adoration, grief, fear, and hate. If a man doesn't give way to these, he's patient. I'm

Like dew I was born
Like dew I vanish
..and all that I have ever done
Is but a dream
Within a dream

Sometimes full agreements, delicate agreements, should not be reduced into writing.

The scarcity of years does not necessitate lack of wisdom.

Of what real value is a title? The power is the only important thing

quarreling avails nothing.

First the priests arrive. Then the conquistadores.

Sometimes it's wiser to give a quarry extra line
that's how to catch a fish, neh?

The point is we both know life and understand death - and both believe treatment in hell and everywhere else depends on money.

A wise man prepares for treachery.

What can I do to help thee?" he asked.
"Believe there is a tomorrow.

By universal custom, your enemy is never more polite than when he is planning or has planned your destruction.

Women don't have wisdom or knowledge in political things.