James Clavell Quotes

So easy now that Elder Sister has explained to her what all young girls in houses are taught—that with care and meticulous acting and tears of pretended pain and fear, and the final modest telltale stains cautiously placed, a girl can, if necessary, be virgin ten times for ten different men.

Perhaps that is why we love life so much, Anjin-san. You see, we have to. Death is part of our air and see and earth.

Fallibility in a leader is very trying. Isn’t it? They spill so much of other people’s blood.

Only merchants have money to waste, and what are they but parasites who create nothing, grow nothing, make nothing but feed off another's labor?

And Adam ruled, for he was the King. Until the day his will to be King deserted him. Then he died, food for a stronger. And the strongest was always the King, not by strength alone, but King by cunning and luck and strength together. Among the rats.

When a man's pride is injured, death is a small price to repay the insult.

That's the first rule of survival in enemy waters: volunteer nothing.

Only a real man has the right to stand at the pinnacle.