39 Quotes by Beryl Bainbridge

There are many things in this life capable of throwing people off course – the death of someone close, the loss of income or health, the realisation that cherished hopes cannot always be fulfilled.

The older one becomes the quicker the present fades into sepia and the past looms up in glorious technicolour.

I am of the firm belief that everybody could write books and I never understand why they don’t. After all, everybody speaks. Once the grammar has been learnt it is simply talking on paper and in time learning what not to say.

Women are programmed to love completely, and men are programmed to spread it around. We are fools to think it’s any different.

I’ve never been drawn to the feminist movement. I was brought up to believe that men had little to do with the home or children – except to bring in the money.

Mrs MacFarley called the valley the Glen. She called the light at early evening the gloaming. She liked to go Roaming in the Gloaming in the Glen.

Being constantly with children was like wearing a pair of shoes that were expensive and too small. She couldn’t bear to throw them out, but they gave her blisters.

At night when they prepared for bed Freda removed all her clothes and lay like a great fretful baby, majestically dimpled and curved. Brenda wore her pajamas and her underwear and a tweed coat – that was the difference between them.

Emotions weren’t like washing. There was no call to peg them out for all the world to view.