Elegant Extracts: My Commonplace Book

Fire From Heaven pages 282-283

2009-12-05T15:01:00.004+07:00

They walked on together. The lights and noise still meandered before the prisoners' pens. Alexander walked steadily down river. They picked their way over broken spears and sarissas and javelins, round dead horses and dead men. At length Alexander stopped by the riverbank, where Hephaistion had known he would.No one had stripped the bodies yet. The bright shields, the victors' trophies, glimmered

Fire From Heaven the first sentence

2009-12-04T07:01:00.002+07:00

The child was wakened by the knotting of the snake's coils about his waist.

Psalm 19: 1-6

2009-09-22T08:15:00.003+07:00

The heavens are telling the glory of God;and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.Day to day pours forth speech,and night to night declares knowledge.There is no speech, nor are there words;their voice is not heard;yet their voice goes out through all the earth,and their words to the end of the world.In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun,which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding

The Full Cupboard of Life pages 132-134

2009-09-21T21:45:00.002+07:00

“You look worried,” said the apprentice. “Is there something troubling you, Boss?” Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni sighed. “I have an unpleasant duty to do,” he said. “I have to go and speak to some bad mechanics about their work. That is what is troubling me.” “Who are these bad mechanics?” asked the apprentice

The Supplicating Voice pages 76-77

2009-09-16T10:16:00.006+07:00

That a precept of courtesy is by no means unworthy of the gravity and dignity of an apostolic mandate, may be gathered from the pernicious effects which all must have observed to have arisen from harsh strictness and sour virtue; such as refuses to mingle in harmless gaiety, or give countenance to innocent amusements, or which transacts the petty business of the day with a gloomy ferociousness

What this blog is for

2009-09-15T16:02:00.002+07:00

I was reading "Adam Bede" recently and when I'd finished there were many things I wished I'd noted down because I thought they were particularly moving, thought-provoking, or amusing. So that's what this blog is for, to share extracts from my reading.