564 Quotes by philip pullman

Human beings can’t see anything without wanting to destroy it, Lyra. That’s original sin.

Being a practiced liar doesn’t mean you have a powerful imagination. Many good liars have no imagination at all; it’s that which gives their lies such wide-eyed conviction.

When you’re young, you do think that things last for ever. Unfortunately, they don’t.

Besides, if you want to write something perfect, write a haiku. Anything longer is bound to have a few passages that don’t work as well as they might.

I’m perfectly happy about being superstitious and atheistic.

You don’t win races by wishing, you win them by running faster than everyone else does.

Words belong in contexts, not pegged out like biological specimens.

Behind them lay pain and death and fear; ahead of them lay doubt, and danger, and fathomless mysteries.

Its purpose was to defend democracy in this country, first of all. Then to defend the principles of freedom of thought and expression.