18 Quotes by Frank O'Connor

Even if there were only two men left in the world and both of them saints they wouldn't be happy. One them would be bound to try and improve the other. That is the nature of things.

A man and woman in search of something are always blown apart, but it's the same wind that blows them.

a grin that wasn't natural, and that combined in a strange way affection and arrogance, the arrogance of the idealist who doesn't realize how easily he can be fooled.

Tom looked more and more like a rabbi. As is the way of men of character in provincial towns, he tended to become a collection of mannerisms, a caricature of himself.

So Father Ring went off in the lofty mood of a man who has defended a principle at a great sacrifice to himself, but that very night he began to brood and he continued to brood till that sickly looking voluptuary of a ten-shilling note took on all the radiance and charm of a virgin of seventeen.

I suppose we all have our little hiding-hole if the truth was known, but as small as it is, the whole world is in it, and bit by bit grows on us again till the day You find us out.

But my dear young lady," he said offering a cigarette, "who ever said I have a poor opinion of women? On the contrary, I have a very high opinion of women, and the more I see of them the more I like them.

I was always a great believer in buttered toast.

And what's a-trouble to you, Jackie?""Father," I said, feeling I might as well get it over while I had him ingood humour, "I had it all arranged to kill my grandmother."He seemed a bit shaken by that, all right, because he said nothingfor quite a while."My goodness," he said at last, "that'd be a shocking thing to do.What put that into your head?"Father," I said, feeling very sorry for myself, " she's an awful woman.