Great Throughts Treasury

This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.

Related Quotes

J. R. R. Tolkien, fully John Ronald Reuel Tolkien

A single dream is more powerful than a thousand realities.

Curiosity | Error | Experience | Important | Life | Life | Nothing | Past | Pleasure | Price | Pride | Sense | Story | Teach | Time | Waiting | Will | Wrong |

Italian Proverbs

Who serves well and says nothing makes claim enough.

Meaning | Sound |

Italian Proverbs

Wise men learn by other men's mistakes, fools by their own.

Absolute | Atheism | Better | Cause | Critic | Discussion | Evil | Extreme | God | People | Problems | Religion | Science | Theology | Will | Work | World | God |

J. B. Priestly, fully John Boynton Priestly

Britain, which in the years immediately before this war was rapidly losing such democratic virtues as it possessed, is now being bombed and burned into democracy.

Compassion | Intolerance | Meaning | Means | People | Pity | Practice | Religion | Time | World |

J. B. S. Haldane, fully John Burdon Sanderson Haldane

Our whole universe is a universe of perceived phenomena in which all that is perceived embodies part of what is ourselves. A person and all his perceived world, thought, motives, and acts, are active manifestations of personality? personality represents a constant struggle to realize itself. This is why for personality there is always a now? entering into the meaning of the past and the nature of the future.

Life | Life |

J. R. R. Tolkien, fully John Ronald Reuel Tolkien

A great dread fell on him, as if he was awaiting the pronouncement of some doom that he had long foreseen and vainly hoped might after all never be spoken. An overwhelming longing to rest and remain at peace by Bilbo's side in Rivendell filled all his heart. At last with an effort he spoke, and wondered to hear his own words, as if some other will was using his small voice.

J. R. R. Tolkien, fully John Ronald Reuel Tolkien

Frodo drew the Ring out of his pocket again and looked at it. It now appeared plain and smooth, without mark or device that he could see. The gold looked very fair and pure, and Frodo thought how rich and beautiful was its color, how perfect was its roundness. It was an admirable thing and altogether precious. When he took it out he had intended to fling it from him into the very hottest part of the fire. But he found now that he could not do so, not without a great struggle. He weighed the Ring in his hand, hesitating and forcing himself to remember all that Gandalf had told him; and then with an effort of will he made a movement, as if to cast it away - but he found that he had put it back in his pocket.

J. R. R. Tolkien, fully John Ronald Reuel Tolkien

Good stories deserve a little embellishment.

Change |

J. R. R. Tolkien, fully John Ronald Reuel Tolkien

GANDALF: A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to.

J. R. R. Tolkien, fully John Ronald Reuel Tolkien

It was an evil doom that set her in his path. For she is a fair maiden, fairest lady of a house of queens. And yet I know not how I should speak of her. When I first looked on her and perceived her unhappiness, it seemed to me that I saw a white flower standing straight and proud, shapely as a lily and yet knew that it was hard, as if wrought by elf-wrights out of steel.

Evil | Good |

J. R. R. Tolkien, fully John Ronald Reuel Tolkien

I was talking aloud to myself. A habit of the old: they choose the wisest person present to speak to.

Problems | Virtue | Virtue |

J. R. R. Tolkien, fully John Ronald Reuel Tolkien

Few other griefs amid the ill chances of this world have more bitterness and shame for a man's heart than to behold the love of a lady so fair and brave that cannot be returned.

Right |

J. R. R. Tolkien, fully John Ronald Reuel Tolkien

Good Morning! said Bilbo, and he meant it. The sun was shining, and the grass was very green. But Gandalf looked at him from under long bushy eyebrows that stuck out further than the brim of his shady hat. What do you mean? he said. Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on? All of them at once, said Bilbo. And a very fine morning for a pipe of tobacco out of doors, into the bargain... Good morning! he said at last. We don't want any adventures here, thank you! You might try over The Hill or across The Water. By this he meant that the conversation was at an end. What a lot of things you do use Good morning for! said Gandalf. Now you mean that you want to get rid of me, and that it won't be good till I move off.

Tomorrow |