Susan Howatch

A rational disposition must necessarily preclude a romantic outlook in life, and only the failures of this world can afford to dispense with a rational disposition.

— Susan Howatch

Recovering from an ill-starred romance is, after all, to anyone of sufficient will-power and self-respect, purely an attitude of mind.

— Susan Howatch

Boredom on social occasions is an inescapable hazard for the over-educated, and for the over-ambitious it must be endured.

— Susan Howatch

Man cannot live on charm alone, and an ambitious man cannot live on anything less than wealth, good social connections and substantial political influence.

— Susan Howatch

One must be rational about such matters and being rational need not mean being cold.

— Susan Howatch

Romance is the opiate of the dissatisfied, it anaesthesises them from the pain of their disordered second-rate lives [...] If romance is the opiate of the dissatisfied then surely nostalgia is the opiate of the disillusioned, for those who see all their dreams come true and find themselves living in a nightmare.

— Susan Howatch

'But never mind, all the best heroines are beautiful orphans, abandoned to their fate, and the one thing that's certain about my situation is that I'm going to be a heroine when I grow up.''Well, I suppose you can try. But you'll have to try very hard.

— Susan Howatch

'Friendship's best,' I said, 'and friendship's forever because no baby can come along to spoil it.'

— Susan Howatch

To be distracted is pardonable. To be incoherent is simply unobliging.

— Susan Howatch

'Success on that scale don't make for happiness. Look at Asquith. Why does he drink? I wouldn't want you to end up a drunkard like that.'

— Susan Howatch

Again, be patient. And have courage. Remember, everything passes, even the most unspeakable horrors.

— Susan Howatch

'Acquiring carnal knowledge is like swimming in the sea ... The sea's so beautiful to look at, so wonderful to swim in, but you must never bathe unless it's safe. People so often drown in the sea and some coasts are so very dangerous, ... like the Coast of Gower.'

— Susan Howatch

There are standards of immorality as well as standards of morality, Robert. Make sure yours are high.'

— Susan Howatch

Death had won my three friends; Death had almost won me. But now I was the one who was going to win and I was going to win by outwitting Death over and over again ... To compete with Death, as I had discovered in the mountains, was to know one was alive.

— Susan Howatch

'The English don't have opinions about the Irish. They have prejudices.'

— Susan Howatch

'Little girls don't stay playmates. Little girls become big girls and big girls become sweethearts.'

— Susan Howatch

Barbarity's everywhere, that's the truth of it. Absolutely anyone is capable of absolutely anything.'That's not cynicism, that's honesty — as you well know, dealing with criminals as you do, seeing the human race continually at its worst.'

— Susan Howatch