[T'renn]

The quotes are the best of all series I read up till now. And the gritty humor, OMG, what brilliance

[Ain't_It_Just_]

When Pust was trying to get inside the Shadow Temple:

"Now let me in before I lose my temperature."
"Don't you mean temper?"
"No, it's chilly outside"

Pure Pusty humour.

[Seguleh 1st]

page 268 (well in my book)
Anomander (again) to Spinnock Durav
"It is well that I am immune to heat", Anomander Rake said, "for I have scorched my boots most severely"

page 674
Anomander and the High Priestess
HP: Shall I dance?
AR: Shall I sing?
HP: Abyss take me, no. Please.

[Ain't_It_Just_]

When Iskaral Pust called Mogora "month-old cream puff". I rolf'd and lmao'd with great profusion.

[AlanH]

Lister of Smeg, on Jun 27 2008, 09:21 AM, said:

For great comedy:

Page 853

Quote

"I shall call him Tufty," said Raest.

Had me in fits. A welcome break from the grimness of that time.

And as a real awesome quote, one that made me think a lot more of Kallor:

Page 867

Quote

The High King's face was ravaged with grief, and all that raged in the ancient man's eyes - well, none of it belonged. Not to the legend that was Kallor. Not to the nightmares roiling round and round his very name.

I even felt sorry for the madman.

There are plenty more fantastic quotes, which I'll probably find in my reread.

I love the quote about Kallor in TtH (from the few pages of description about Kallor around 200 to 300 pages in) which goes something like:

"So hate Kallor. Even in that he will do it better."

Tehol and Bugg's trip to the Brothel is hilarious. Also their conversations about the tea (remember the wool?). And really them in general in MT. They are funny in RG as well, but not quite the same as in MT.

Pust is also amazing. And Kruppe. And Fiddler. I could go on.

[Seras]

i don't think its been said before, so i'll have a go at it
Page 795
"I have thought nothing of justice. For so long now. It is all one to me. Grief is tasteless, sorrow an empty sigh. Live an eternity in dust and ashes then speak to me of justice." - Hood

This post has been edited by Estrayk: 16 February 2009 - 11:20 PM

[Bauchelain the Evil]

I loved Kallor talking to Spinnock. Memorable.

"Do you realize what these things do to me? Of course not,the High King is cursed to always fail but never fall. The High King is what? Oh,yes... the living personification of ambition and what it can do to you. So f*ck you too"

Went a bit on memory, sorry.

[Ain't_It_Just_]

Bauchelain the Evil, on Feb 17 2009, 11:53 PM, said:

I loved Kallor talking to Spinnock. Memorable.

"Do you realize what these things do to me? Of course not,the High King is cursed to always fail but never fall. The High King is what? Oh,yes... the living personification of ambition and what it can do to you. So f*ck you too"

Went a bit on memory, sorry.

Oh yeah I LOVED that line. Showed that the big bad Kallor was breaking down. Yes, I felt sorry for him!

I love when Antsy and Picker go to Raest, ask to come in.

".....Do you expect me to serve refreshments as well?"

[hoods bane]

Sinisdar Toste, on Nov 13 2008, 10:44 AM, said:

Puck, on Nov 13 2008, 07:39 AM, said:

p.728

Survivors do not mourn together. They each mourn alone, even when in the same place. Grief is the most solitary of all feelings. Grief isolates, and every ritual, every gesture, every embrace, is a hopeless effort to break through that isolation.
None of it works. The forms crumble and dissolve.
To face death is to stand alone.

possibly the most true and melancholy statements in the entire MBotF. beautiful.

I read that SE's Father died during the writing of TtH. Anyone else read this? If this is sadly true, it help explain the pathos which runs through the book

[Aptorian]

His father did die, I believe Erikson took a small break around then and it's part of the reason the book was postponed a month or so.

[Salt-Man Z]

TtH was also dedicated to him.

[Ain't_It_Just_]

Maybe his dad will be remade as a character in the books. Here's hoping...

From Studlock:

"No need. I am confident in my ability to judge character, and have concluded that you two whilst not to be considered vast of intellect, are nonetheless inclined towards loyalty."

There's something about this sentence that tickles me...

[tamyrlink]

kcf, on Jul 14 2008, 02:13 PM, said:

Quote

'Sad truth,’ Kruppe said â€" his audience of none sighing in agreement â€" ‘that a tendency towards verbal excess can so defeat the precision of meaning. That intent can be so well disguised in majestic plethora of nuance, of rhythm both serious and mocking, of this penchant for self-referential slyness, that the unwitting simply skip on past â€" imagining their time to be so precious, imagining themselves above all manner of conviction, save that of their own witty perfection.' Sigh and sigh again.

When I read this I found it to be very important for the overall narrative goals of SE's and in a way it's a defense against anticipated criticism. I even ended up quoting it in my review, and I rarely quote in reviews.

It would be hard to pull a seperate quote, but the standoff between Kruppe and Pust was brilliant.

i liked when Pust started riding his mule towards kruppe and kruppe goes "Really now?" or something like that.

[Ain't_It_Just_]

I reckon a really inspiring part of the book was when Spindle gave Monkrat that lecture on being a soldier. I loved the whole "doing the right thing" bit. Anyone else remember that?

[Salt-Man Z]

Yeah, that was good. Kind of tangental, but related: did anyone else find it a little odd that this book featured two prominent characters both nicknamed "Spin"?

[KeithF]

Saf, on Dec 17 2008, 04:11 AM, said:

I agree, I don't understand how people were turned off of this book, it was brilliant. His depth of character was astounding although dark. But many of us cherish a very tragic eye for life in general. I love how he thinks out philosophies of living for every character. Brilliant because to one degree or another every person in the world has their own philosophy or view, and SE goes to the effort to make each character in his books as special as a real life individual.

I personally started to get a bit fed up of the angsty commentary a bit before the finale, mainly because it was getting repetitive and not being balanced out enough by humour or moments of light/heroism. It was starting to feel like a one-sided, negative message the book was pushing rather than a natural view of the characters and the world they lived in; in particular, we *know* there are decent and heroic people in the Malazan world; not everyone is a total selfish SOB like the narration seemed to be making out.

Fortunately, the ending redeemed and balanced out the wangst pretty well, and showed that Steven Erikson hadn't gone to the nihilistic "wah wah, all life is meaningless and aren't I EDGY for saying so?" extreme. It was just a very long night before the dawn (SE does this very well: many authors juxtapose dark and uplifting scenes to create catharsis/eucatastrophe, but he goes to greater extremes than most).

Anyway, quotes. There were loads of good lines in this book, as noted above, but here are a few of my favourites:

Quote

"There is no struggle too vast, no odds too overwhelming, for even should we fail - should we fall - we will know that we have lived."

Anomander Rake is GAR.

Quote

"What's your name at least?"
"Yes. I am Karsa Orlong of the Teblor. And you?"
"Crokus. Crokus Younghand. I was once a thief."
"Be one again, and steal me a Hound's life this night."
"I'll try."
"That will do."

I particularly like how Crokus uses his real name (seriously, who came up with "Cutter"?).

Quote

Hood now stood on the blood-splashed stones, in a decrepit garden in the district of Gadrobi, in the city of Darujhistan. Not a ghostly projection, not hidden behind veils of shielding powers, not even a spiritual visitation.
No, this was Hood, the god.
Here, now.
And in the city on all sides, the howling of the Hounds rose in an ear-shattering, soul-flailing crescendo.
The Lord of Death had arrived, to walk the streets in the City of Blue Fire.

EPIC MUSIC CUE! The whole section following Hood's arrival, with him saving the guard and all the random deaths, is awesome as well, but I don't feel like typing 20 pages of stuff.

Quote

But Karsa Orlong had already turned away and was eyeing Traveller, who remained on his horse. "You - are you her husband then? She must have had one somewhere - no other reason for her forever refusing me. Very well, we shall fight for her, you and me-"

AHAHAHAHAHA!

Quote

"I shall build him a barrow. West of the city."
"Caladan, please, that can wait. We have to-"
"No. [...] I will do this. No other need be burdened with this journey. It shall be Caladan Brood and Anomander Rake, together one last time."
And so the ox began its walk. A warrior at its side, the body of another in the cart.

Quote

It was said that he had saved Darujhistan. Once, years ago, and now again.
[...]
And so, unbidden, people came out onto the streets. They lined the route taken by Caladan Brood to await his passing, the warrior, the ox, the cart. And when he did, he was watched in silence; and when the procession had passed, the people fell into his wake, becoming a river of humanity.

[Assail]

Quote

"My worshippers! Of Course! You! Yes, you! Gather your kin and attack the fat fool! Attack! Your god commands you! Attack!"
"Mlawhlaoblossblayowblagmilebbingoblaiblblafblablallblayarblablabnablahblall
blah!"
"What?"
"Bla?"
"Bla?"
"Yarb?"
"Bah you're stupid and useless and ugly!"
"Blabluablablablahllalalabala, too!"
Iskaral Pust scowled at it.
The bhokaral scowled back.
"Rat poison!" Pust hissed. And then smiled.
The Bhokaral offered him a dung sausage. And then smiled.

Easily one of the funniest scenes in the book XD Kinda a quote right?

This post has been edited by Assail: 05 May 2009 - 02:00 PM

[Dolmen 2.0]

Quote

Pg 912

Caladan Brood sealed the barrow, and upon the capstone of
bleached dolomite he set a symbol, carved deep into the stones face.
An ancient barghast glyph, its meaning precise and yet a thing of
countless layers-although this is only to those who in life
come to face it directly.
A single Barghast glyph.
...Grief

That summed up the book. summed up rake, summed up Kallor and summed up Dassem.
It summed up every story thread in TtH really.

[Ain't_It_Just_]

Dolmen, on May 8 2009, 05:45 AM, said:

Quote

Pg 912

Caladan Brood sealed the barrow, and upon the capstone of
bleached dolomite he set a symbol, carved deep into the stones face.
An ancient barghast glyph, its meaning precise and yet a thing of
countless layers-although this is only to those who in life
come to face it directly.
A single Barghast glyph.
...Grief

That summed up the book. summed up rake, summed up Kallor and summed up Dassem.
It summed up every story thread in TtH really.

Yeah I loved that part too. It was a real final goodbye for Rake. Rest in Darkness good buddy.

[WhiskeyJackDaniels]

Traveller: We are about to have a guest.
(Huge Dragon approaches)
Samar Dev:Are we about to be attacked?
Traveller: *shrug*
Samar Dev: Shouldn't we at least scatter or something?

I lost it on that one, my favorite quote in the book.

This post has been edited by WhiskeyJackDaniels: 27 June 2009 - 12:23 AM