J. R. R. Tolkien (1892-1973)

Quotes

• What do you mean? Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good on this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?

• The deeds will not be less valiant because they are unpraised.

• I love you. I used to pity your sorrow. But now, were you sorrowless, without fear or any lack, still i would love you.

• All that we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.

• Valour needs first strength, then a weapon.

• Still round the corner there may wait,
  A new road or a secret gate.

• Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger.

• 'I wish life was not so short,' he thought. 'Languages take such a time, and so do all the things one wants to know about.'

• It's a dangerous business going out your front door.

• Courage is found in unlikely places.

• One Ring to rule them all,
  One Ring to find them,
  One Ring to bring them all
  and in the darkness bind them.

• The Hobbits are just rustic English people, made small in size because it reflects the generally small reach of their imagination.

• Nearly all marriages, even happy ones, are mistakes: in the sense that almost certainly (in a more perfect world, or even with a little more care in this very imperfect one) both partners might be found more suitable mates. But the real soul-mate is the one you are actually married to.

• His house was perfect, whether you liked food, or sleep, or work, or story-telling, or singing, or just sitting and thinking, best, or a pleasant mixture of them all.

• ...for advice is a dangerous gift, even from the wise to the wise, and all courses may run ill.

• Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.

• I cordially dislike allegory in all its manifestations, and always have done since I grew old and wary enough to detect its presence.

• If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.

• It's a job that's never started that takes the longest to finish.

• I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.