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Where were you born?” “On a battlefield,” [Yossarian] answered. “No, no. In what state were you born?” “In a state of innocence.

Joseph Heller

He was never without misery, and never without hope.
JOSEPH HELLER

Hope Misery
Death to all modifiers, he declared one day, and out of every letter that passed through his hands went every adverb and every adjective.
JOSEPH HELLER

Adjective Adverb Death Declare Hands
She was the epitome of stately sorrow each time she smiled.
JOSEPH HELLER

Epitome She Smile Sorrow Time
But that was war. Just about all he could find in its favor was that it paid well and liberated children from the pernicious influence of their parents.
JOSEPH HELLER

Children Favor Influence Liberation Parents War
In the long run, failure was the only thing that worked predictably. All else was accidental.
JOSEPH HELLER

Accident Failure Predict
You’re an intelligent person of great moral character who has taken a very courageous stand. I’m an intelligent person with no moral character at all, so I’m in an ideal position to appreciate it.
JOSEPH HELLER

Appreciation Character Courage Intelligence Moral
You know, that might be the answer – to act boastfully about something we ought to be ashamed of. That’s a trick that never seems to fail.
JOSEPH HELLER

Ashame Failure Trick
Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.
JOSEPH HELLER

Achievement Born Medicore Mediocrity Men Sarcastic Thrust
Success and failure are both difficult to endure. Along with success come drugs, divorce, fornication, bullying, travel, meditation, medication, depression, neurosis and suicide. With failure comes failure.
JOSEPH HELLER

Bulling Difficult Drug Endurance Failure Meditation Success Suicide
When people disagreed with him he urged them to be objective.
JOSEPH HELLER

Disagree Objective Urge
He knew everything there was to know about literature, except how to enjoy it.
JOSEPH HELLER

Enjoyment Except Literature
He was going to live forever, or die in the attempt.
JOSEPH HELLER

Attempt Die Forever Live Man
I think in every country that there is at least one executive who is scared of going crazy.
JOSEPH HELLER

Country Crazy Executive Scare
Well, he died. You don’t get any older than that.
JOSEPH HELLER

Broken Heart Die Old
I don’t believe in miracles because it’s been a long time since we’ve had any.
JOSEPH HELLER

Broken Heart Miracle Time
I’ve only had four ideas for a novel in my life, and I’ve written all of them.
JOSEPH HELLER

Ideas Life Novel Writing

Where were you born?” “On a battlefield,” [Yossarian] answered. “No, no. In what state were you born?” “In a state of innocence.

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Where were you born?” “On a battlefield,” [Yossarian] answered. “No, no. In what state were you born?” “In a state of innocence.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Joseph Heller Quotes