Kjell Askildsen Quotes

Livet tar snart slutt likevel, og da gjør det ikke noe at du har vært ensom og stygg og ulykkelig.

Jeg hadde ikke fått se noe grønt, men du verden for en begivenhetsrik dag.

Sei por experiência que se deve evitar descobrir quem deseja manter-se escondido.

Tell me one thing, Father. Suppose I hadn't been your son, suppose you just knew me, knew the same about me you know now, would you have looked forward to seeing me, to having me live under your roof?' 'Naturally, it wouldn't have been the same.' 'No. And if you had just been a fellow human and not my father, then I wouldn't have come to see you. But doesn't that mean it's nothing but a convention that binds us together? We are father and son, and so we have to show affection for each other, and if we don't we feel guilty. But why? Is there any reasonable basis for believing that affection hinges on biology? We don't feel obligated to be fond of a neighbor or a colleague, do we?

Det er vel for mye forlangt, å få dø uten smerter.

—¿Quiere decir —preguntó— que no soy quien parezco ser? —No exactamente —contesté—, más bien que usted ha roto con su punto de partida, que, por así decirlo, se ha salido de su marco.

Ocurre de vez en cuando: se te viene encima un gran vacío, es como si la misma falta de sentido de la existencia se te metiera dentro y se extendiera como un inmenso y desnudo paisaje.

The world is full of folly and confusion, the lack of freedom has deep roots, the hope for justice and equality is dwindling, the odds against us are too great, it seems. We should be glad to be as well off as we are, people say, most people are worse off. Then they take a pill for insomnia. Or depression. Or life. When will a new generation come, one that understands the importance of equality, a generation of gardeners and foresters who can fell the big trees that block the light for all the lesser ones, and who can remove the suckers from the tree of knowledge.

Los dos éramos, por así decirlo, firmes partidarios del paro cardiaco como causa de muerte. El único inconveniente de una muerte tan repentina, dijo bromeando, es que uno ha de tener sus bienes bajo control en todo momento para estar seguro de no dejar ninguno de sus secretos, por no decir inclinaciones, a la posteridad. Contesté, en el mismo tono de broma, que ese era un pensamiento muy vanidoso.

So I parried, 'You're afraid to die, eh? Oh well.' 'Nonsense. It's only that my life's work isn't done yet.' That is how pompously he expressed himself, it was sickening.

La impresión espartana que transmitía correspondería a su naturaleza o a su bolsillo.

Verden er ikke som den var. Nå tar det for eksempel lenger tid å leve.

Å, det er et godt liv, sa han. Jeg svarte ikke. Synes du ikke? sa han. Jo, jo, sa jeg.

Sånn er altså mennesker på kafé blitt, så pass lærte jeg da, en lærer så lenge en lever, hva nå det skal være godt for, like før en skal dø.