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"Her accent's funny, different from mine, different from anyone in Prentisstown's. Her lips make different kinds of outlines for the letters, like they're swooping down on them from above, pushing them into shape, telling them what to say. In Prentisstown, everyone talks like they're sneaking up on their words, ready to club them from behind."
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"We are what we think about and meditate on. Look around people! America is a buffet of violence, a total immersion."

"Culture is a symbolic veil with which we hide our animal nature from ourselves - and other animals."

"Cultural heritage define the uniqueness of individuals. Appreciate cultural diversity."

"The way of the consumerist culture is to spend so much energy chasing happiness that it has none left to be happy."

"Confession. Years ago, I was invited to a cocktail party for an Asian-American networking group. As I introduced myself to a Japanese businessman, I reached out and firmly shook his hand. Much to my embarrassment now, I automatically took my other hand and wrapped our hands in a "hand hug. This is a common gesture of friendship in the South. As his wife approached, however, she appeared appalled and felt disrespected that I was touching her husband. Our cultural differences were marked. Despite this cultural mishap, I was able to redeem myself. We all moved past it and delighted in an interesting conversation. Physical touch is a touchy topic (pun intended), especially when various cultures are involved."

"Culture and holiness must be made compatible in the environment of the kingdom."

"The American's literature is all about being hot and sexy, inspiring a girl and going to bed with her. It focuses on being a hero, saving lives and surviving last, but it has nothing to do with dignity, serenity."

"Could dump two Chinee down in one of our maria and they would get rich selling rocks to each other while raising twelve kids. Then a Hindu would sell retail stuff he got from them wholesale--below cost at a fat profit. We got along."
Explore more quotes by Patrick Ness

"Like how stars might sound. Or moons But not mountains. Too floaty for mountains. It's a sound like one planet singing to another, high stretched and full of different voices starting at different notes and sloping down to other different notes but all weaving together in a rope of sound that's sad but not sad and slow but not slow and all singing one word. One word."

"We share out craziness, our neuroses, our little bit of screwed-up-ness that comes from our family. We share it. And it feels like love."

"A peace that blacked yer eye,' I say. 'A peace that split yer lip.' He looks at me for another second and then gives a sad snort. "The words of a sage, he says, "in the voice of a hick."

"HELP!I race to the square, crossing it, looking all around, listening out-..It's empty.Viola's breathing heavy in my arms .And Haven is empty.I reach the middle of the square.I don't see nor hear a soul.I spin around again."HELP! I cry.But there's no one.Haven's completely empty.There ain't hope here after all."

"If you ever want to see how small you are in the plan of God, just stand at the edge of an ocean."

"No one ever seems to wonder what happens if it turns out we hate living on a planet? What if the sky's too big? What if the air stinks? What if we go hungry?''And what if the air tastes of honey? What if there's so much food we all get too fat? What if the sky is so beautiful we don't get any work done because we're all looking at it too much?"

"If you ever doubt anything here, if you ever not know what to think or who to trust, you trust Todd, okay? You remember that."

"Yeah, my parents are crappy, but you hurt either of my sisters and I will spend my life finding ways to destroy you."
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