Quotes from Johnny Maxwell
It was Maths again. As far as Johnny was concerned, the future would be a better place if it didn’t contain 3y + x2. He had problems enough without people giving him pages of them. (OYCSM)
It occurred to Johnny, not for the first time, that the human mind, of which each of his friends was in possession of one almost standard sample, was like a compass. No matter how much you shook it up, no matter what happened to it, sooner or later it'd carry on pointing the same way. If three-metre-tall Martians landed on the shopping mall, bought some greeting cards and a bag of sugar cookies and then took off again, within a day or two people would believe it never happened. (JD)
He was by nature an honest person, because apart from anything else, lying was always too complicated. (JD)
'When did Columbus discover America anyway?' said Wobbler.
'Fourteen ninety-two,' said Johnny. 'There's a rhyme: In fourteen hundred and ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.'
Wobbler and Bigmac looked at him.
'Actually, he could have got there in fourteen ninety-one,' said Yo-les, without looking up, 'but he had to sail around a bit because no-one could think up a rhyme for "one".' (JD)
'Nothing ever finishes. Nothing’s ever really over.’
It was Johnny who said that. He was surprised at himself.
‘Correct! Are you a physicist?’
‘Me?’ said Johnny. ‘I don’t know the anything about science!’
‘Marvellous! Ideal qualification!’ said Einstein.
‘What?’
'Ignorance is very important! It is an absolutely essential step in the learning process!' (JD)
Johnny blinked. And looked around at the world.
It was, not to put too fine a point on it, wonderful. Which wasn’t the same as nice. It wasn’t even the same as good. But it was full of … stuff. You’d never get to the end of it. It was always springing new things on you … (JD)
The interesting thing about worrying about things, thought Johnny Maxwell, was the way there was always something new to worry about. (JB)
'It’s not being ill at all. If lots of bad things have happened to you it’s healthy to be depressed,’ said Johnny. ‘That’s sense, isn’t it? What with the business going down the drain, and Dad pushing off, and Mum just sitting around smoking all the time and everything. I mean, going around smiling and saying, “Oh, it’s not so bad” – that would be mental.' (JB)
The interesting thing about worrying about things, thought Johnny Maxwell, was the way there was always something new to worry about. (JB)
Johnny had been on a school visit once, to a sort of theme park that showed you what things had been like in the all-purpose Olden Days. It had been quite interesting, although everyone had been careful not to show it, because if you weren't careful they'd sneak education up on you while your guard was down. (JB)
It occurred to Johnny, not for the first time, that the human mind, of which each of his friends was in possession of one almost standard sample, was like a compass. No matter how much you shook it up, no matter what happened to it, sooner or later it'd carry on pointing the same way. If three-metre-tall Martians landed on the shopping mall, bought some greeting cards and a bag of sugar cookies and then took off again, within a day or two people would believe it never happened. (JD)
He was by nature an honest person, because apart from anything else, lying was always too complicated. (JD)
'When did Columbus discover America anyway?' said Wobbler.
'Fourteen ninety-two,' said Johnny. 'There's a rhyme: In fourteen hundred and ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.'
Wobbler and Bigmac looked at him.
'Actually, he could have got there in fourteen ninety-one,' said Yo-les, without looking up, 'but he had to sail around a bit because no-one could think up a rhyme for "one".' (JD)
'Nothing ever finishes. Nothing’s ever really over.’
It was Johnny who said that. He was surprised at himself.
‘Correct! Are you a physicist?’
‘Me?’ said Johnny. ‘I don’t know the anything about science!’
‘Marvellous! Ideal qualification!’ said Einstein.
‘What?’
'Ignorance is very important! It is an absolutely essential step in the learning process!' (JD)
Johnny blinked. And looked around at the world.
It was, not to put too fine a point on it, wonderful. Which wasn’t the same as nice. It wasn’t even the same as good. But it was full of … stuff. You’d never get to the end of it. It was always springing new things on you … (JD)
The interesting thing about worrying about things, thought Johnny Maxwell, was the way there was always something new to worry about. (JB)
'It’s not being ill at all. If lots of bad things have happened to you it’s healthy to be depressed,’ said Johnny. ‘That’s sense, isn’t it? What with the business going down the drain, and Dad pushing off, and Mum just sitting around smoking all the time and everything. I mean, going around smiling and saying, “Oh, it’s not so bad” – that would be mental.' (JB)
The interesting thing about worrying about things, thought Johnny Maxwell, was the way there was always something new to worry about. (JB)
Johnny had been on a school visit once, to a sort of theme park that showed you what things had been like in the all-purpose Olden Days. It had been quite interesting, although everyone had been careful not to show it, because if you weren't careful they'd sneak education up on you while your guard was down. (JB)
