Happy Valentine’s Day, Bookworms!
Last year, to celebrate Cupid’s arrow, I wrote Jim a sonnet about McDonald’s. There’s just no way to top that. This year I’m copping out and sharing some of my favorite quotes about love… And no, none of them would be appropriate to put on a wedding program.
1. “I want to ask you something …Would you marry me? I’m in love with you, so I thought I’d ask.” – The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (My Review)
This is my favorite marriage proposal in literature. Maybe it’s not as swoony as Mr. Darcy’s, but I love it. It’s spontaneous, quirky, and a lady asks a dude. Not every marriage needs an elaborate proposal story. There’s something to be said for the heartfelt and odd.
Oh for heaven’s sake, don’t look so shocked, Mr. Darcy! We can’t all be you. (Source)
2. “He knew why he wanted to kiss her. Because she was beautiful. And before that, because she was kind. And before that, because she was smart and funny. Because she was exactly the right kind of smart and funny. Because he could imagine taking a long trip with her without ever getting bored. Because whenever he saw something new and interesting, or new and ridiculous, he always wondered what she’d have to say about it–how many stars she’d give it and why.”– Attachments
by Rainbow Rowell (my review)
I don’t buy into love at first sight, but I fell hard for the idea of love before first sight, thanks to Rainbow Rowell. (I could have filled an entire list with her quotes, but I feel the need to back off since I announced I wanted to have her cloned…) This quote makes me happy because it’s everything you want your mate to think about you; that you’re smart and funny and worthy of long road trips.
3. “As he read, I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once.”– The Fault in Our Stars
by John Green (My Review)
Stop. Go back. Read it again. Let the glory sink in. I don’t really buy into love at first sight. Sure, lust, attraction, what-have-you, but love? This is the best analogy I’ve ever read for my (limited) experience with falling in love. Feelings start and they grow and then BOOM. You’re a goner.
4. “You don’t love someone because they’re perfect, you love them in spite of the fact that they’re not.”– My Sister’s Keeper
by Jodi Picoult
This quote isn’t even about romantic love, but I don’t care. Expecting perfection out of anyone (including yourself) is a recipe for disaster. Loving someone means loving them with all their rough edges.
5. “I will find you,” he whispered in my ear. “I promise. If I must endure two hundred years of purgatory, two hundred years without you – then that is my punishment, which I have earned for my crimes… But there is the one thing that shall lie in the balance. When I shall stand before God, I shall have one thing to say, to weigh against the rest… Lord, ye gave me a rare woman, and God! I loved her well.”– Outlander
by Diana Gabaldon
Because I’m a sappy sapperson and I can’t get enough time-traipsing-sexy-sentimental-Scottish-man-isms. Jamie + Claire = Lurve!
Well, that’s that. Since we’re playing with quotes here, do any of you have a favorite lovey dovey literary quote? A favorite love song?
Jenny @ Reading the End
I can’t remember the exact quote, but I love it when Peter Wimsey tells Harriet Vane to just keep exercising her devastating talent for speaking the truth — that’s what he loves her for. It’s not a particularly romantic moment (I think they’re about to go in to dinner with a big bunch of Oxford dons), but I really like that reason for being in love with her.
Words For Worms
That is a fantastic reason to be in love with someone. I really like that!
Ashley F
Awww this made me all sniffly. So sweet.
Words For Worms
I am to please 🙂
Ashley F
One of my fave lines in TFIOS is when he says that he’d be a privilidge to have his heart broken by her. I kinda cried. Like lots.
Darlene
“They didn’t recognize me,” I repeat.
He stops in turn, my hand still on his arm.
“It is because they have never seen you,” he says, “I would
recognize you anywhere.”
THE ABSOLUTE BEST LINE IN THAT BOOK!
It just makes me smile and swoon right now!
(But it probably only works in context):)
Darlene
Oops, forgot to mention it comes from The Elegance of the Hedgehog!
Words For Worms
I’ve not read The Elegance of the Hedgehog, but now I really want to! What a lovely quote!
Megan M.
Oh, Jamie. Swoon! I love all of these quotes.
“You can be Han Solo,” he said, kissing her throat. “And I’ll be Boba Fett. I’ll cross the sky for you.” – Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
I mean, what? I never would have thought Star Wars could be romantic.
Words For Worms
That is suuuuuuuuuuuuuch a good one from E&P. Never before and never since has a love connection between an intergallactic scallywag and an intergallactic bounty hunter seemed so sweet!
Heather
“When the day shall come that we do part,” he said softly, and turned to look at me, “if my last words are not ‘I love you’-ye’ll ken it was because I didna have time.”
Jaime makes me forget about my undying love for Mr. Darcy at times.
Words For Worms
YES! I very nearly chose this quote over the one I actually used. Jamie. Sigh.
Heather
Can we just go to Scotland and verify with those scriptwriters that these lines will be kept in the Outlander series? I’m anxiously waiting to hear Sam Heughan give voice to my favorite dialogue…
April @ The Steadfast Reader
Can we talk about Yul Brynner as Rameses again? I like this one. 😀
“Rameses: [to Nefretiri] You are going to be mine, all mine, like my dog or my horse or my falcon. Only I will love you more and trust you less.”
Daddio
I sure do! “As you wish!” (Princess Bride). Signed Mr. Sapperson
Rebecca @ Love at First Book
So great! My favorite love quote from a song is “I’m lucky I’m in love with my best friend” (Jason Mraz & Colbie Calet, however you spell it) and then a fun one from a song that I love is “My moves will be so hot you’ll have to stand under the fan” by Hellogoodbye.
Sarah @ Sarah Says Read
As always, you make me want to hug my computer monitor. This post is so fabulous. Maybe it’s because it’s the holiday, or because I’m over-worked and want comfort reads, but I have the really strong urge to go re-read Attachments, Outlander, Guernsey, and Bet Me (because I was just thinking of Bet Me when I said “For crying out loud!” to a co-worker, not because it was in this post, obvs.)
Charleen
I second, “As you wish.” I honestly can’t hear that phrase anywhere else without reinterpreting it (which is often… interesting…)
Love that quote from Guernsey. It’s so sweet. Gah, you make me want to re-read it AGAIN even though I just did a few months ago!
Trish
Pretty sure that last one has my heart in a big fat bind. My poor husband. I feel like I’m committing literary adultery. 😉
And yes, John Green. I didn’t LOVE TFIOS but I do love his writing.
Amy
YES Juliet asking Dawsey is the best!!
I love the quotes about love from Tell the Wolves I’m Home too…and all the quotes, but:
“I thought of all the different kinds of love in the world. I could think of ten without even trying. The way parents love their kids, the way you love a puppy or chocolate ice cream or home or your favorite book or your sister. Or your uncle. There’s those kinds of love and then there’s the other kind. The falling kind.”
“I know all about love that’s too big to stay in a tiny bucket. Splashing out all over the place in the most embarrassing way possible.”
Rory
I’m not a swoony person, but good grief I’m pretty sure I love every single thing about Jamie Fraser.
I picked up and then abandoned Attachments, but your quote made me rethink that. For me, Captain Wentworth’s letter to Anne does it for me.
Lillian
I love that quote from “My Sister’s Keeper” mostly because I think I usually fall in love with imperfections first. It’s what makes people the most interesting to me.
Love has so many dimensions to it. I am glad it doesn’t all have to be of the romantic variety. That is an exhausting, all consuming sort of love in the beginning. It’s nice when it starts to shift into something more sustainable.
Isi
Ohhh my Jamie! Jamie has a lot of quotes we could bring for this post 🙂
I liked number 3 very much too; I haven’t read the book but the quote is just reality 😉
Melinda
I like that quote from My Sister’s Keeper! 🙂