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Diana Wynne Jones Quotes

Writer

The enchanting stories of Diana Wynne Jones invite readers into worlds where magic, humor, and wisdom intertwine. With a keen imagination and playful storytelling, she explores complex characters, unexpected adventures, and the subtle truths of human nature. The following quotes capture her charm, insight, and the timeless magic that has made her a beloved figure in fantasy literature.

You must admit I have a right to live in a pigsty if I want.
From Howl’s Moving Castle
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My shining dishonesty will be the salvation of me.
From Howl’s Moving Castle
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I can't abide people who go soft over animals and then cheat every human they come across!
From Castle in the Air
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This book will prove the following ten facts:
1. A Goon is a being who melts into the foreground and sticks there.
2. Pigs have wings, making them hard to catch.
3. All power corrupts, but we need electricity.
4. When an irresistible force meets an immovable object, the result is a family fight.
5. Music does not always sooth the troubled beast.
6. An Englishman's home is his castle.
7. The female of the species is more deadly than the male.
8. One black eye deserves another.
9. Space is the final frontier, and so is the sewage farm.
10. It pays to increase your word power.
From Archer's Goon
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Nobody gets praised for the right reasons.
From Castle in the Air
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Wizard Howl," said Wizard Suliman. "I must apologize for trying to bite you so often. In the normal way, I wouldn't dream of setting teeth in a fellow countryman.
From Howl’s Moving Castle
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Learn to drive?"
"Never," said Quentin. "My mission in life is to be a passenger.
From Archer's Goon
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This is the mythosphere. It's made up of all the stories, theories and beliefs, legends, myths and hopes, that are generated here on Earth. As you can see, it's constantly growing and moving as people invent new tales to tell or find new things to believe. The older strands move out to become these spirals, where things tend to become quite crude and dangerous. They've hardened off, you see.
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If you're thinking of calling on that Mrs. Pentstemmon, you can save yourself the trouble. The old biddy's dead."
"Dead?" said Sophie. She had a silly impulse to add, But she was alive an hour ago! And she stopped herself, because death is like that: people are alive until they die.
From Howl’s Moving Castle
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What a strange family you are! Is your name Lettie too?
From Howl’s Moving Castle
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You are a terror, aren't you? Leave this yard alone. I know just where everything is in it, and I won't be able to find the things I need for my transport spells if you tidy them up.'
So there was probably a bundle of souls or a box of chewed hearts somewhere out here, Sophie thought. She felt really thwarted. ‘Tidying up is what I’m here for!’ she shouted at Howl.
‘Then you must think of a new meaning for your life,’ Howl said.
From Howl’s Moving Castle
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I feel ill," [Howl] announced. "I'm going to bed, where I may die.
From Howl’s Moving Castle
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So you were going to rescue the Prince! Why did you pretend to run away? To deceive the Witch?"

"Not likely! I'm a coward. Only way I can do something this frightening is to tell myself I'm not doing it!
From Howl’s Moving Castle
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I am a believer in free will. If my dog chooses to hate the whole human race except myself, it must be free to do so.
From Castle in the Air
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Annoyed?” said Sophie. “Why should I be annoyed? Someone only filled the castle with rotten aspic, and deafened everyone in Porthaven, and scared Calcifer to a cinder, and broke a few hundred hearts. Why should that annoy me?
From Howl’s Moving Castle
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Happiness isn't a thing. You can't go out and get it like a cup of tea. It's the way you feel about things.
From Fire and Hemlock
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Really, these wizards! You'd think no one had ever had a cold before! Well, what is it?" she asked, hobbling through the bedroom door onto the filthy carpet.
"I'm dying of boredom," Howl said pathetically. "Or maybe just dying.
From Howl’s Moving Castle
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Look. Survey. Inspect. My hair is ruined! I look like a pan of bacon and eggs!
From Howl’s Moving Castle
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Nothing is safe from you. If I were to court a girl who lived on an iceberg in the middle of the ocean, sooner or later— probably sooner— I’d look up to see you swooping overhead on a broomstick. In fact, by now I’d be disappointed in you if I didn’t see you.”
“Are you off to the iceberg today?” Sophie retorted.
From Howl’s Moving Castle
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You must admit I have a right to live in a pigsty if I want.
From Howl’s Moving Castle
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
My shining dishonesty will be the salvation of me.
From Howl’s Moving Castle
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
I can't abide people who go soft over animals and then cheat every human they come across!
From Castle in the Air
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
This book will prove the following ten facts:
1. A Goon is a being who melts into the foreground and sticks there.
2. Pigs have wings, making them hard to catch.
3. All power corrupts, but we need electricity.
4. When an irresistible force meets an immovable object, the result is a family fight.
5. Music does not always sooth the troubled beast.
6. An Englishman's home is his castle.
7. The female of the species is more deadly than the male.
8. One black eye deserves another.
9. Space is the final frontier, and so is the sewage farm.
10. It pays to increase your word power.
From Archer's Goon
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Nobody gets praised for the right reasons.
From Castle in the Air
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Wizard Howl," said Wizard Suliman. "I must apologize for trying to bite you so often. In the normal way, I wouldn't dream of setting teeth in a fellow countryman.
From Howl’s Moving Castle
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Learn to drive?"
"Never," said Quentin. "My mission in life is to be a passenger.
From Archer's Goon
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
This is the mythosphere. It's made up of all the stories, theories and beliefs, legends, myths and hopes, that are generated here on Earth. As you can see, it's constantly growing and moving as people invent new tales to tell or find new things to believe. The older strands move out to become these spirals, where things tend to become quite crude and dangerous. They've hardened off, you see.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
If you're thinking of calling on that Mrs. Pentstemmon, you can save yourself the trouble. The old biddy's dead."
"Dead?" said Sophie. She had a silly impulse to add, But she was alive an hour ago! And she stopped herself, because death is like that: people are alive until they die.
From Howl’s Moving Castle
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
What a strange family you are! Is your name Lettie too?
From Howl’s Moving Castle
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
You are a terror, aren't you? Leave this yard alone. I know just where everything is in it, and I won't be able to find the things I need for my transport spells if you tidy them up.'
So there was probably a bundle of souls or a box of chewed hearts somewhere out here, Sophie thought. She felt really thwarted. ‘Tidying up is what I’m here for!’ she shouted at Howl.
‘Then you must think of a new meaning for your life,’ Howl said.
From Howl’s Moving Castle
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
I feel ill," [Howl] announced. "I'm going to bed, where I may die.
From Howl’s Moving Castle
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
So you were going to rescue the Prince! Why did you pretend to run away? To deceive the Witch?"

"Not likely! I'm a coward. Only way I can do something this frightening is to tell myself I'm not doing it!
From Howl’s Moving Castle
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
I am a believer in free will. If my dog chooses to hate the whole human race except myself, it must be free to do so.
From Castle in the Air
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Annoyed?” said Sophie. “Why should I be annoyed? Someone only filled the castle with rotten aspic, and deafened everyone in Porthaven, and scared Calcifer to a cinder, and broke a few hundred hearts. Why should that annoy me?
From Howl’s Moving Castle
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Happiness isn't a thing. You can't go out and get it like a cup of tea. It's the way you feel about things.
From Fire and Hemlock
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Really, these wizards! You'd think no one had ever had a cold before! Well, what is it?" she asked, hobbling through the bedroom door onto the filthy carpet.
"I'm dying of boredom," Howl said pathetically. "Or maybe just dying.
From Howl’s Moving Castle
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Look. Survey. Inspect. My hair is ruined! I look like a pan of bacon and eggs!
From Howl’s Moving Castle
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Nothing is safe from you. If I were to court a girl who lived on an iceberg in the middle of the ocean, sooner or later— probably sooner— I’d look up to see you swooping overhead on a broomstick. In fact, by now I’d be disappointed in you if I didn’t see you.”
“Are you off to the iceberg today?” Sophie retorted.
From Howl’s Moving Castle
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
You must admit I have a right to live in a pigsty if I want.
From Howl’s Moving Castle
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
My shining dishonesty will be the salvation of me.
From Howl’s Moving Castle
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
I can't abide people who go soft over animals and then cheat every human they come across!
From Castle in the Air
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
This book will prove the following ten facts:
1. A Goon is a being who melts into the foreground and sticks there.
2. Pigs have wings, making them hard to catch.
3. All power corrupts, but we need electricity.
4. When an irresistible force meets an immovable object, the result is a family fight.
5. Music does not always sooth the troubled beast.
6. An Englishman's home is his castle.
7. The female of the species is more deadly than the male.
8. One black eye deserves another.
9. Space is the final frontier, and so is the sewage farm.
10. It pays to increase your word power.
From Archer's Goon
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Nobody gets praised for the right reasons.
From Castle in the Air
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Wizard Howl," said Wizard Suliman. "I must apologize for trying to bite you so often. In the normal way, I wouldn't dream of setting teeth in a fellow countryman.
From Howl’s Moving Castle
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Learn to drive?"
"Never," said Quentin. "My mission in life is to be a passenger.
From Archer's Goon
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
This is the mythosphere. It's made up of all the stories, theories and beliefs, legends, myths and hopes, that are generated here on Earth. As you can see, it's constantly growing and moving as people invent new tales to tell or find new things to believe. The older strands move out to become these spirals, where things tend to become quite crude and dangerous. They've hardened off, you see.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
If you're thinking of calling on that Mrs. Pentstemmon, you can save yourself the trouble. The old biddy's dead."
"Dead?" said Sophie. She had a silly impulse to add, But she was alive an hour ago! And she stopped herself, because death is like that: people are alive until they die.
From Howl’s Moving Castle
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
What a strange family you are! Is your name Lettie too?
From Howl’s Moving Castle
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
You are a terror, aren't you? Leave this yard alone. I know just where everything is in it, and I won't be able to find the things I need for my transport spells if you tidy them up.'
So there was probably a bundle of souls or a box of chewed hearts somewhere out here, Sophie thought. She felt really thwarted. ‘Tidying up is what I’m here for!’ she shouted at Howl.
‘Then you must think of a new meaning for your life,’ Howl said.
From Howl’s Moving Castle
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
I feel ill," [Howl] announced. "I'm going to bed, where I may die.
From Howl’s Moving Castle
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
So you were going to rescue the Prince! Why did you pretend to run away? To deceive the Witch?"

"Not likely! I'm a coward. Only way I can do something this frightening is to tell myself I'm not doing it!
From Howl’s Moving Castle
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
I am a believer in free will. If my dog chooses to hate the whole human race except myself, it must be free to do so.
From Castle in the Air
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Annoyed?” said Sophie. “Why should I be annoyed? Someone only filled the castle with rotten aspic, and deafened everyone in Porthaven, and scared Calcifer to a cinder, and broke a few hundred hearts. Why should that annoy me?
From Howl’s Moving Castle
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Happiness isn't a thing. You can't go out and get it like a cup of tea. It's the way you feel about things.
From Fire and Hemlock
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Really, these wizards! You'd think no one had ever had a cold before! Well, what is it?" she asked, hobbling through the bedroom door onto the filthy carpet.
"I'm dying of boredom," Howl said pathetically. "Or maybe just dying.
From Howl’s Moving Castle
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Look. Survey. Inspect. My hair is ruined! I look like a pan of bacon and eggs!
From Howl’s Moving Castle
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Nothing is safe from you. If I were to court a girl who lived on an iceberg in the middle of the ocean, sooner or later— probably sooner— I’d look up to see you swooping overhead on a broomstick. In fact, by now I’d be disappointed in you if I didn’t see you.”
“Are you off to the iceberg today?” Sophie retorted.
From Howl’s Moving Castle
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote