Dark Origins – Remembrance Month edition: War book quote quiz #DarkOrigins #Warnovelsquiz
Posted: November 22, 2023 Filed under: Uncategorized 40 Comments
I am not going to discuss the dark origins of war today. We all have our own views on what those are and they are all correct.
Last year I did a few book quiz posts on my home blog, Roberta Writes. I shared quotes from a number of famous books and readers (without using google) guessed which books they were from. I thought for this November post of Dark Origins, I would share quotes from a number of well know books about war. I will give you a clue to help you with your guesses.
This book is set in Asia and was written by an Australian-born British writer, screenwriter, director and World War II veteran and prisoner of war.
Quote 1: “Leave the problems of God to God and karma to karma. Today you’re here and nothing you can do will change that. Today you’re alive and here and honored, and blessed with good fortune. Look at this sunset, it’s beautiful, neh? This sunset exists. Tomorrow does not exist. There is only now. Please look. It is so beautiful and it will never happen ever again, never, not this sunset, never in all infinity.
Lose yourself in it, make yourself one with nature and do not worry about karma, yours, mine, or that of the village.”
Quote 2: “Love is a Christian word, Anjin-san. Love is a Christian thought, a Christian ideal. We have no word for ‘love’ as I understand you to mean it. Duty, loyalty, honor, respect, desire, those words and thoughts are what we have, all that we need.”
Quote 3: “Patience means holding back your inclination to the seven emotions: hate, adoration, joy, anxiety, anger, grief, fear. If you don’t give way to the seven, you’re patient, then you’ll soon understand all manner of things and be in harmony with Eternity.’ ”
This author was an English writer and philologist. From 1925 to 1945 hew was the Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon and a Fellow of Pembroke College, both at the University of Oxford.
“A hunted man sometimes wearies of distrust and longs for friendship.”
“The way is shut.
Then they halted and looked at him and saw that he lived still; but he did not look at them. The way is shut, his voice said again. It was made by those who are Dead, and the Dead keep it, until the time comes. The way is shut.”
“It is not despair, for despair is only for those who see the end beyond all doubt. We do not. It is wisdom to recognize necessity, when all other courses have been weighed, though as folly it may appear to those who cling to false hope.”
The title of this book means it is an impossible situation because you cannot do one thing until you do another thing, but you cannot do the second thing until you do the first thing
“The enemy is anybody who’s going to get you killed, no matter which side he is on.”
“What is a country? A country is a piece of land surrounded on all sides by boundaries, usually unnatural. Englishmen are dying for England, Americans are dying for America, Germans are dying for Germany, Russians are dying for Russia. There are now fifty or sixty countries fighting in this war. Surely so many countries can’t all be worth dying for.”
“When I look up, I see people cashing in. I don’t see heaven or saints or angels. I see people cashing in on every decent impulse and every human tragedy.”
This American author’s legacy to literature is his style
“Dying was nothing and he had no picture of it nor fear of it in his mind. But living was a field of grain blowing in the wind on the side of a hill. Living was a hawk in the sky. Living was an earthen jar of water in the dust of the threshing with the grain flailed out and the chaff blowing. Living was a horse between your legs and a carbine under one leg and a hill and a valley and a stream with trees along it and the far side of the valley and the hills beyond.”
“This was the greatest gift that he had, the talent that fitted him for war; that ability not to ignore but to despise whatever bad ending there could be. This quality was destroyed by too much responsibility for others or the necessity of undertaking something ill planned or badly conceived. For in such things the bad ending, failure, could not be ignored. It was not simply a possibility of harm to one’s self, which could be ignored. He knew he himself was nothing, and he knew death was nothing. He knew that truly, as truly as he knew anything. In the last few days he had learned that he himself, with another person, could be everything. But inside himself he knew that this was the exception. That we have had, he thought. In that I have been most fortunate. That was given to me, perhaps, because I never asked for it. That cannot be taken away nor lost. But that is over and done with now on this morning and what there is to do now is our work.”
“He smelled the odor of the pine boughs under him, the piney smell of the crushed needles and the sharper odor of the resinous sap from the cut limbs. … This is the smell I love. This and fresh-cut clover, the crushed sage as you ride after cattle, wood-smoke and the burning leaves of autumn. That must be the odor of nostalgia, the smell of the smoke from the piles of raked leaves burning in the streets in the fall in Missoula. Which would you rather smell? Sweet grass the Indians used in their baskets? Smoked leather? The odor of the ground in the spring after rain? The smell of the sea as you walk through the gorse on a headland in Galicia? Or the wind from the land as you come in toward Cuba in the dark? That was the odor of cactus flowers, mimosa and the sea-grape shrubs. Or would you rather smell frying bacon in the morning when you are hungry? Or coffee in the morning? Or a Jonathan apple as you bit into it? Or a cider mill in the grinding, or bread fresh from the oven?”
This author was an English Voluntary Aid Detachment nurse, writer, feminist, socialist and pacifist
“How fortunate we were who still had hope I did not then realise; I could not know how soon the time would come when we should have no more hope, and yet be unable to die”
“When I was a girl . . . I imagined that life was individual, one’s own affair; that the events happening in the world outside were important enough in their own way, but were personally quite irrelevant. Now, like the rest of my generation, I have had to learn again and again the terrible truth . . . that no life is really private, or isolated, or self-sufficient. People’s lives were entirely their own, perhaps–and more justifiably–when the world seemed enormous, and all its comings and goings were slow and deliberate. But this is so no longer, and never will be again, since man’s inventions have eliminated so much of distance and time; for better, for worse, we are now each of us part of the surge and swell of great economic and political movements, and whatever we do, as individuals or as nations, deeply affects everyone else.”
“When the sound of victorious guns burst over London at 11 a.m. on November 11th, 1918, the men and women who looked incredulously into each other’s faces did not cry jubilantly: ” We’ve won the war! ” They only said: ” The War is over.”
Let me know your guesses in the comments. I will share the answers in the comments a few days after the post goes live.
About Roberta Eaton Cheadle
Award-winning, bestselling author, Roberta Eaton Cheadle, is a South African writer and poet specialising in historical, paranormal, and horror novels and short stories. She is an avid reader in these genres and her writing has been influenced by famous authors including Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe, Amor Towles, Stephen Crane, Enrich Maria Remarque, George Orwell, Stephen King, and Colleen McCullough.
Roberta has two published novels and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories included in several anthologies. She is also a contributor to the Ask the Authors 2022 (WordCrafter Writing Reference series).
Roberta also has thirteen children’s books and two poetry books published under the name of Robbie Cheadle, and has poems and short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.
Roberta’s blog features discussions about classic books, book reviews, poetry, and photography. https://roberta-writes.com/.
Find Roberta Eaton Cheadle
Blog: https://wordpress.com/view/robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobertaEaton17
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robertawrites
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Roberta-Eaton-Cheadle/e/B08RSNJQZ5
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Robbie I enjoyed reading this article so much but I do not have the answer I haven’t read enough books of this ilk .. perhaps I should 💜💜
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War books are not for everyone and that is fine. I have read a lot because the topic fascinates me. I’m pleased you enjoyed.
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I did Robbie 💜💚
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Hi Robbie, I do read such books, but it appears I’ve missed this author because no bells are ringing. I shall watch for more.
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Hi Patty, I listed the books and titles above for you. All very famous and terrific reads.
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These are tough! I don’t even have any guesses!
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Hi Priscilla, you will know then all when I reveal. I thought everyone would get the second one based on the description of the author.
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Extremely contemplative thinking, Robbie, thought-provoking for me.
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Hi Tim, it is a bit of fun, isn’t it? I thought it made a nice change.
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These are tough questions Robbie. I love this type of literature but I need to read more.
“The title of this book means it is an impossible situation because you cannot do one thing until you do another thing, but you cannot do the second thing until you do the first thing.” Is the answer the book Catch 22?
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Hi Kay, yes, it is Catch 22. Congratulations.
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Yay!!!! One of my English professors in college always talked about this book although he didn’t assign it to our class. It’s been MANY years since then. I will read Catch 22 very soon! Promise to myself…..☺️
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Hi Kay, I enjoyed Catch 22 very much. It was a bit of effort to get into at the beginning because of the scene changes, but I quickly got the hang of the style.
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The only one I knew for sure was Catch 22 by Joseph Heller. Is the first one Shogun by James Clavell. The second one could be Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien. The last one could be Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain.
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Hi Darlene, well done, you are spot on. The one you missed out is Hemmingway and the book is For Whom the Bell Tolls.
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I can’t believe I missed Hemingway! He’s a favourite of mine too.
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💗
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The American sounds like Hemingway, although I wouldn’t swear to it.
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Spot on, Liz. Hemingway is a favourite of mine so he had to be here. The books is For Whom the Bell Tolls.
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😀
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I feel as though I should ask Robbie for a holiday reading list like the teachers used to give out in school. They never recommended books worth a hoot and I donât ever remember seeing but one or two that have been mentioned here. I believe I may have been deprived. ð
About Patty L. Fletcher
Patty L. Fletcher lives in Kingsport Tennessee where she works full time as a Writer with the goal of bridging the great chasm which separates the disAbled from the non-disAbled. She is Also a Social Media Marketing Assistant.
See her published work and more here.
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Hi Patty, I am sure you will recognise some of these books: shogun by James Clavell; Lord of the Rings by JR Tolkien; Catch 22 by Joseph Heller; For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway; and A Testament to Youth by Vera Britain.
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Iâve read The Lord of the Rings and started Catch 22.
Thanks and happy day to you!
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Patty-L.-Fletcher/author/B00Q9I7RWG?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true Pick up your copy here.
About Patty L. Fletcher
Patty L. Fletcher lives in Kingsport Tennessee where she works full time as a Writer with the goal of bridging the great chasm which separates the disAbled from the non-disAbled. She is Also a Social Media Marketing Assistant.
Follow her in Pattyâs Worlds here.
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I was sure about Tolkien and Brittain. I remembered Catch 22 but forgot its author. No idea about the first one, but I agree with Liz that the 2nd to last is likely Hemingway.
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Hi Audrey, well done. The author of Catch 22 is Joseph Heller. The second last is Hemingway and the book is For Whom the Bell Tolls. Not my favourite of his books. My favourite is Farewell to Arms. I cried at the end.
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The first one is Shogun by James Clavell.
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I have no memory for these things, but enjoyed reading the quotes. (K)
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The quizzes are fun. Thanks, Kerfe, and Happy Thanksgiving.
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Thanks Robbie.
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Some deep thinking, here.
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Good food for thought while resting up after good food. ð
About Patty L. Fletcher
Patty L. Fletcher lives in Kingsport Tennessee where she works full time as a Writer with the goal of bridging the great chasm which separates the disAbled from the non-disAbled. She is Also a Social Media Marketing Assistant.
See her published work and more here.
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Yes!
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Iâm downloading books and cooking turkey corn chowder to eat with my fried chicken and sausage dressing paddies.
Books, food and Blue dog on a cold partly cloudy day.
All thanks to Robbieâs post.
Such inspiration must not be ignored.
The Blended Lives Chronicles: Sides of the Order
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Patty-L.-Fletcher/author/B00Q9I7RWG?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true Pick up your copy here.
About Patty L. Fletcher
Patty L. Fletcher lives in Kingsport Tennessee where she works full time as a Writer with the goal of bridging the great chasm which separates the disAbled from the non-disAbled. She is Also a Social Media Marketing Assistant.
Follow her in Pattyâs Worlds here.
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🙂
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I’m glad you enjoyed, Patty
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â¤
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Patty-L.-Fletcher/author/B00Q9I7RWG?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true Pick up your copy here.
About Patty L. Fletcher
Patty L. Fletcher lives in Kingsport Tennessee where she works full time as a Writer with the goal of bridging the great chasm which separates the disAbled from the non-disAbled. She is Also a Social Media Marketing Assistant.
Follow her in Pattyâs Worlds here.
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Yes, it’s good to stretch the mind 😁
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Although I recognized a couple of the quotes, I didn’t have any guesses for the authors. Great quiz, Robbie. It did make me think,
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Hi Carla, I quite enjoy the odd literature quiz. I am sure you will recognise some of these books: shogun by James Clavell; Lord of the Rings by JR Tolkien; Catch 22 by Joseph Heller; For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway; and A Testament to Youth by Vera Britain.
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I recognize them all. I read Catch 22 and For Whom the Bell Tolls way back in high school. Probably time for a reread.
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