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foundandlost1
13-06-2008, 03:03 PM
(from "The Shoes of The Fisherman" - Morris L. West - 1963 - Current publisher, Toby Press)


“It costs so much to be a full human being… one has to abandon altogether the search for security, and reach out to the risk of living with both arms. One has to embrace the world like a lover, and yet demand no easy return of love. One has to accept pain as a condition of existence. One has to court doubt and darkness as the cost of knowing. One needs a will stubborn in conflict, but apt always to total acceptance of every consequence of living and dying.”


"It is a terror in this life that no man can carry the burden of another"



This book (as well as the film - starring Anthony Quinn) is one of the most memorable things I have ever encountered. It's about adverstity, coming to terms with the past - knowing your "enemies" as intimately as your friends...about being in a postion of great power (and reluctantly so), cursed as blessed with terrible insight and conscience.

It's about speaking out - as well as abiding by the silence of one's tongue, it's about great faith as well as deep, dark doubt - about "being in the world but not of it", yet forced to contend with the latter. All in all, observing the poignancy and realities of The Human Condition, in all its aspects...

(Um...I like it?)

madkill
13-06-2008, 03:44 PM
sort of like saying, do not fear death, fear life.

foundandlost1
13-06-2008, 04:44 PM
sort of like saying, do not fear death, fear life.

Uh-huh...yeah (!)

Like, where does the author get off being so berloody VERBOSE about it, writing a whole BOOK (and me following suit describing it) when it can be summed up in one utterly concise line??

LOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!