Quote

According to Dickens, the first rule of human nature is self-preservation and when I forgive him for writing a character as pathetic as Oliver Twist, I'll thank him for the advice.

Melina Marchetta

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

Melina Marchetta
Age: 59
Born: 1965
Born: March 25
Screenwriter
Writer
Sydney
NSW
Carmelina Marchetta
Self
According
Dickens
First
Rule
Twist
Writing
Advice
Twists
Nature
Pathetic
Character
Preservation
Firsts
Forgive
Human
Thank
Humans
Forgiving
Oliver

More quotes by Melina Marchetta

Image
No chance. It'd be like cutting off our hands. Then learn to live without your hands. No, because then we won't be able to do this, Ben says, giving him the finger [...]
Melina Marchetta
Image
It's not that I like you least [...] it's that I feared you most. The reginita taught me to like you. There was a strange joy to her that lifted my spirits. But you, Quintana of Charyn, you made me love you.
Melina Marchetta
Image
Comfort zones are overrated. They make you lazy.
Melina Marchetta
Image
Don't ever ask me again if I hate living anywhere with you and Jasmina. This Rock reminds me of the boy I was and being with you in the palace reminds me of the man I want to be.' 'Not just any man,' she whispered. 'A King. Mine.
Melina Marchetta
Image
Play me something that makes me feel This soul inside me is made of steel. Brain is breathing, but heart’s not beating And, babe, I need you to make things real. Walk inside me without silence, Kill the past and change the tense. Empty gnawing and the ache is soaring Take me places that make more sense.
Melina Marchetta
Image
Come here,” she says. “No, you come here.” “I said it first.” “Rock paper scissors.” “No. Because you’ll do nerdy calculations and work out what I chose the last six times and then you’ll win.” Will pushes away from the table and his hand snakes out and he pulls her toward him and Tom figures that Will was always going to go to her first.
Melina Marchetta
Image
Best way to find the weakness of the enemy is to understand their ways.
Melina Marchetta
Image
When one is silent, those around speak even more.
Melina Marchetta
Image
What kind of freak is this kid who's giggling hysterically with the girls in the neighbouring beds, each with a crush on the other for being the same age when the rest of the world seems so old?
Melina Marchetta
Image
Our bodies aren't strangers,' he said, his voice ragged. 'Our spirits aren't strangers'. He held her face in his hands. 'Tell me what part of me is stranger to you and I'll destroy that part of me.' And she wept to hear his words.
Melina Marchetta
Image
And then their voices stopped and their souls stood still and they ceased being who they had been. Because who they were had always been determined by him.
Melina Marchetta
Image
It is what a man does for strangers that counts more than what he does for his family.
Melina Marchetta
Image
Teresa, Teresa. Have we taught you nothing? Raffy says in an irritated voice. It's war. You go in and you hunt him down until he realises that he's made a mistake.
Melina Marchetta
Image
he knew that a part of his life was complete and that whatever path he chose, he would experience the ache of unfulfilled dreams.
Melina Marchetta
Image
She comes from the school of getting it out of your system, whereas he comes from the school of stewing over it.
Melina Marchetta
Image
The string slices into the skin of his fingers and no matter how tough the calluses, it tears. But this beat is fast and even though his joints are aching, his arm's out of control like it has a mind of its own and the sweat tat drenches his hair and face seems to smother him, but nothing's going to stop Tom. Hes aiming for oblivion.
Melina Marchetta
Image
I don't want to let go, because tonight I'm not looking for anything more than being part of him. Because being part of him isn't just anything. It's kind of everything.
Melina Marchetta
Image
I heard your song the moment we were born. And years later, it dragged me back from the lake of the half-dead when all I wanted to do was die. Each time someone tried to kill me, it sang its tune and gave me hope.
Melina Marchetta
Image
City people. They may know how to street fight but they don't know how to wade through manure.
Melina Marchetta
Image
It’s Tolstoy, by the way,” I say as I open the door. He turns around. “What?” Shut up, I tell myself. Shut up. “The writer of Anna Karenina. Not Trotsky. Trotsky was a revolutionary who was stabbed with a pickax in Mexico in 1940. But I can understand how the T thing could confuse you.
Melina Marchetta