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Our notions of self-determination are, on the whole, something of a myth. We are governed almost exclusively by our own peculiar habits, which makes those who rail against them that much more remarkable.

Jasper Fforde

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Jasper Fforde
Age: 63
Born: 1961
Born: January 11
Novelist
Science Fiction Writer
Writer
London
England
Almost
Governed
Makes
Habits
Self
Peculiar
Whole
Remarkable
Much
Myth
Something
Determination
Rail
Notion
Exclusively
Habit
Notions

More quotes by Jasper Fforde

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Mr. McGregor's a nasty piece of work, isn't he? Quite the Darth Vader of children's literature.
Jasper Fforde
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Whereas story is processed in the mind in a straightforward manner, poetry bypasses rational thought and goes straight to the limbic system and lights it up like a brushfire. It's the crack cocaine of the literary world.
Jasper Fforde
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Don't let anyone tell you the future is already written. The best any prophet can do is to give you the most likely version of future events. It is up to us to accept the future for what it is, or change it. It is easy to go with the flow it takes a person of singular courage to go against it.
Jasper Fforde
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A missing arm might ruin your symmetry. Personal asymmetry where I come from is a big taboo and brings great shame on the family and sometimes even the whole village. Do you then have to kill yourself over it or something? Goodness me, no! The family and village just have to learn to be ashamed--and nuts to them for being so oversensitive.
Jasper Fforde
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Palindrome as well. My sister's name is Hannah. Father liked word games. He was fourteen times World Scrabble Champion. When he died, we buried him at Queenzieburn to make use of the triple word score.
Jasper Fforde
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The fun one can have writing books about books is limitless, to be honest.
Jasper Fforde
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We all make mistakes at some time in our lives, some more than others. It is only when the cost is counted in human lives that people really take notice.
Jasper Fforde
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I don't need you to agree with me, she said quietly. I'll go away happy with a little bit of doubt. Doubt is good. It's an emotion we can build on. Perhaps if we feed it with curiosity it will blossom into something useful, like suspicion - and action.
Jasper Fforde
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Were you listening to a word I said ' 'I kind of switched off when you drew breath.
Jasper Fforde
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Failure concentrates the mind wonderfully. If you don't make mistakes, you're not trying hard enough.
Jasper Fforde
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I've never been averse to a little risk - after all, writing without risk is not really writing at all. Sometimes one has to just let fly with a high concept piece and see where the pieces fall. As it generally turns out, the central story is familiar, but just with different rules of engagement.
Jasper Fforde
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For every expert there is an equal and opposite expert.
Jasper Fforde
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Humans like stories. Humans need stories. Stories are good. Stories work. Story clarifies and captures the essence of the human spirit. Story, in all its forms—of life, of love, of knowledge—has traced the upward surge of mankind. And story, you mark my words, will be with the last human to draw breath.
Jasper Fforde
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If you even think about asking Harry Potter for an autograph, your day ends right now.
Jasper Fforde
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Cats aren't really friendly, they're just cozying up to the dominant life-form as a hedge against extinction.
Jasper Fforde
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The best plans are always the simplest.
Jasper Fforde
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There's something rotten in the state of Denmark, and Hamlet says...it's payback time!
Jasper Fforde
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I've got six months to sort out the hackers, get the Japanese knotweed under control and find an acceptable form of narcissus.
Jasper Fforde
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History has rewritten itself so many times I'm not really sure how it was to begin with -- it's a bit like trying to guess the original color of a wall when it's been repainted eight times.
Jasper Fforde
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He was, after all, the ultimate rebel -- it takes a lot of cojones to stand up to Zeus.
Jasper Fforde