Garner’s Quotations: A Modern Miscellany

New York Times book critic Garner assembles a rather unorthodox ensemble of some of his favorite quotes. Comprising “sentences from novels, stories, poems, and songs, from plays and movies, from overheard conversations,” that, Garner writes, have “jolted me awake,” this is much more than a random assortment. Many of the quotes share a common (if broad) theme, touching upon topics such as food, religion, love for literature, and candid remarks on human nature. Certain lines, such as Saul Bellow’s “Lead me not into Penn Station” or Tina Brown’s “True elegance is a real time suck,” serve as humorous tongue-in-cheek observations on daily life, while others will prompt readers to think, such as Harold Pinter’s “It’s very difficult to feel contempt for others when you see yourself in the mirror.” A line from Mark Twain states that, “In certain trying circumstances... profanity furnishes a relief denied even to prayer.” In many ways, this sentence sums up the feel of Garner’s offering, which is a scruffier, bawdier endeavor than the average quotation compendium. It would take a real curmudgeon to not enjoy this witty and delightful diversion. (Nov.)