228 Quotes by Romain Gary

His secretary, who acted as interpreter, was to say, later, that this glance of hatred was the first sign he had given of returning health.

The best way to defend yourself against the power of money is to have some.

...and in fifteen minutes I knew enough about De Vries's sporting exploits to land him with Hell's own fine — which I did, on my return to Fort Lamy. I don't think this bothered him much: there are people who are always ready to pay the necessary price for satisfying the intimate urges of their soul, as you must know. Father.

He was back once more to the starting point: he must find money. Arms traffickers didn’t give their wares for nothing and 'volunteers' did not join up on the strength of promissory notes.

. . . distance and imagination which is almost always indispensable to the birth of legends.

I battled my feelings of inferiority bravely, picking out a guest and imagining him floating in the air at the end of a line I held in my hand, with his stiff-legged trousers, his checked vest, and his yellow tie, propelled this way or that with a flick of my hand. It was the first time I had wielded my imagination as a weapon of defense, and nothing ever turned out to be more beneficial to me in this life.

— I'm a man of honor, Lili; of honor.— Yes, and the world ain't what it used to be, is it Colonel?— But I haven't changed, Lili, I refuse to change. I won't throw in the sponge.

Je me souviens que je lui ai dit ça très franchement, il faut maigrir pour manger moins, mais c'es très dur pour une vieille femme qui est seule au monde. Elle a besoin de plus d'elle-même que les autres. Lorsqu'il n'y a personne pour vous aimer autour, ça devient de la graisse.

I had known that I would not find Morel alone. I knew that Africa still had plenty of those adventurers always ready to jump at a chance to break the law — to rob, pillage, and in general live a life of freedom.’ Our continent has not yet lost all its attraction for men who feel free only with a gun in their hand.