129 Quotes by Bernhard Schlink

Ich meine nicht, daß Denken und Entscheiden keinen Einfluß auf das Handeln hätten. Aber das Handeln vollzieht nicht einfach, was davor gedacht und entschieden wurde. Es hat seine eigene Quelle und ist auf ebenso eigenständige Weise mein Handeln, wie mein Denken ist und mein Entscheiden mein Entscheiden.

Warum wird uns, was schön war, im Rückblick dadurch brüchig, daß es häßliche Wahrheiten verbarg? Manchmal hält die Erinnerung dem Glück schon dann die Treue nicht, wenn das Ende schmerzlich war. Weil Glück nur stimmt, wenn es ewig hält? Weil schmerzlich nur enden kann, was schmerzlich gewesen ist, unbewußt und unerkannt?

What is it?''Nothing,' he said, and put his arm around her.'You sighed.''I'd like to be further along than I am.'She snuggled against his side. 'I know that feeling. But don't we make progress in fits and starts? Nothing happens for a long time, then suddenly we get a surprise, have an encounter, reach a decision point, and we're no longer the same as we were before.

Executioners don’t hate the people they execute, and they execute them all the same. Because they’re ordered to.الجلادون لا يكرهون الناس الذين يعدمونهم ,إنهم يعدمونهم جميعاً بالطريقة نفسها لأنهم مأمورون بذلك.

Tôi yêu cô say mê, phải chăng đó là cái giá phải trả cho việc cô ngủ với tôi? Cho đến giờ, sau một đêm với phụ nữ tôi có cảm giác mình đã được chiều chuộng và nay phải đền đáp lại - đền đáp cho người phụ nữ ấy, bằng cách là dù sao tôi cũng cố tìm cách yêu cô ta, và đền đáp cho thế giới mà tôi dám đương đầu.

There's this old saying that, if you aren't particularly gifted in natural sciences, if you don't want to become a teacher or pastor or doctor, and don't know what else to do, then you become a lawyer. But I've never regretted it.

I love writing, and I am never as happy as when I have a week, a month - three months - with nothing to do but write.

As a citizen and someone who was a judge on the constitutional law court for 18 years, I feel whenever I can raise my voice with the hope of being heard I need to do it, but I wouldn't assign a special wisdom and responsibility to writers.

I can't say I'm thankful about being German because I sometimes experience it as a huge burden. But it is an integral part of me and I wouldn't want to escape it. I have accepted it.