603 Quotes by Alexander McCall Smith

The young rarely believe that they will not be able to get what they want, because there is always an open future.

French philosophers had been able to admire Mao and his works because they did not have to live in China at the time.

I like you when you’re algebraic,” said Ulf – and immediately regretted it. It was a flirtatious remark – describing somebody as algebraic was undoubtedly to cross a line. You would not normally describe an ordinary friend as algebraic, and then say that you liked her that way.

As a writer, I have readers who will have a range of political views. I don’t think they look to me for political guidance.

Painters aren’t expected to paint bleak pictures, are they?

Crisis. It was a time of sustained anxiety for anybody who read a newspaper or listened to the news on the radio, and that included his mother, Mrs. Florence Woodhouse, who was anxious at the best of times and even more so at the worst. What was the point of continuing the human race when nuclear self-immolation seemed to be such a real and imminent possibility? That was the question that occurred to Florence as she was admitted to the delivery ward of a small country hospital in Norfolk.

My wife Elizabeth and I started The Really Terrible Orchestra for people like us who are pretty hopeless musicians who would like to play in an orchestra. It has been a great success. We give performances; we've become the most famous bad orchestra in the world.

But you cannot expect every writer to dwell on human suffering. I think my books do deal with grave issues. People who say they are too positive probably haven't read them.

Well, I'd say all of us are a combination of moods and emotions. In my day to day life I don't go around skipping, but at times one can feel sheer exhilarating joy at the world.