Favorite Duniverse Quote

[Colonel_Worf]

What is your favorite chapter-starting quote? One that has always stuck with me is one from House Harkonnen.

"To know what one ought to do is not enough"

-Prince Rhombur Vernius

[Wolf]

Ahh, there are so many! When I have time, I will have to pick a favorite.

[Andrew]

Not necessarily a start of chapter quote (as I have many as I did a paper on Dune).

The only quote I know by heart and for some reason have remembered is:

"If wishes were fishes we'd all cast nets," he murmured.

This was Gurney Halleck at the beginning of Dune.

When I first joined this forum I had it in my signiture for quite a while.

[Vanguard3000]

So did I, Andrew!  I think that was the frst signature I had here.

You stole it!  I cut you for that!  ;)

One of my favourites is from Dune, and highlights a Bnee Gesserit proverb:

"Any road followed precisely to its end leads precisely nowhere.  Climb the mountain just a little bit to test that it's a mountain.  From the top of the mountain, you cannot see the mountain."

Of course, there are hundreds of good quotes from the novels.  I'd also like to add one quote that preceeded the first chapter of Man of Two Worlds:

"Up is only up when there is a down."

-Dreen proverb.

[exatreide]

I Forget it...but its a tiaxu proverb...Oh if only I could it...Something about how they built pillars for maudib...a tall and narrow one or something..

[Vanguard3000]

Here lies a toppled god.

His fall was not a small one.

We did but build his pedestal,

A narrow and a tall one.

-Tleilaxu Epigram

I believe that's how it goes.  That's one of my favourites, too.

[Caid Ivik]

"Arrakis teaches philosophy of a knife; you cut off what isn't yet finished and say: 'Now it is finished, for it ends here'." - Muad'Dib

[Alexander_Ordos]

My favorite quotes are in GEOD , but the one that made most sence to me was the one I have in my signature.

"When humans created a computer with the ability to collect information and learn from it, they signed the death warrant of mankind." - Legends of Dune

[Emperor Harkonnen]

[Khan]

"God made Arrakis to train the faithful"

-Muad'Dib

[Usul]

I shall not fear. Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration. I must face my fear, I must permit it to pass through me and over me, and when it is gone there will be nothing only I will remain. - The Litany Against Fear

Or the only other one I can really remember: May thy knife chip and shatter.

[Dante]

Ohhhh, difficult. Very very difficult. *Sigh* I really can't pick just one but I can only write one down...

"Some never participate. Life happens to them. They get by on little more than dumb persistence and resist with anger or violence all things that might life them out of resentment-filled illusions of security."

--Alma Mavis Taraza

I'm also rather fond of that Tleilaxu epigram, and the littany against fear. Difficult difficult...

EDIT: "Truth suffers from too much analysis."

--Ancient Fremen Saying.

Couldn't leave that one out.

[TMA_1]

good one dust.

Read my sig, "All rebels are closet Aristocrats".

Leto the second said it, my favorite duniverse character.

[Caid Ivik]

I like also the beginning of Chapterhouse:

"Those who would repeat the past must control teaching of history." - Bene Gesserit Codex

[driftingcloud]

It's not a quote from the beginning of a chapter, but I think it is the best insult I've ever read in a book:

"Do as she says, you worm-faced, crawling, sand-brained piece of lizard turd! Do it or I'll help her dismember you!"

From Dune, in the chapter when Paul and Jessica are captured by Stilgar and his band.

[NHJ BV]

Ohhhh, difficult. Very very difficult. *Sigh* I really can't pick just one but I can only write one down...

"Some never participate. Life happens to them. They get by on little more than dumb persistence and resist with anger or violence all things that might life them out of resentment-filled illusions of security."

--Alma Mavis Taraza

I'm also rather fond of that Tleilaxu epigram, and the littany against fear. Difficult difficult...

EDIT: "Truth suffers from too much analysis."

--Ancient Fremen Saying.

Couldn't leave that one out.

Now my eyes hurt.

[Dante]

*Sigh* There's always someone who isn't happy...

[Tio_Holtzmann]

What is your favorite chapter-starting quote? One that has always stuck with me is one from House Harkonnen.

"To know what one ought to do is not enough"

-Prince Rhombur Vernius

sadly kinda ripped off from the bible.  but hey.

i like the BG commissioning statement, the "i stand now in the sacred human presence.  as i do now, so may you someday" one.

[Archduke_of_Ecaz]

"The capacity to learn is a gift;

The ability to learn is a skill;

The willingness to learn is a choice."

Can't remember which book, but this one really stuck out.

[Timenn]

"Destroying him would be a service to mankind."

- Thufir Hawat

The quote may look stupid at first sight, but you should now the context. Thufir Hawat thinks this while having a conversation with the Baron Harkonnen. It annoys him that the Baron talks so much, and he compares him with his Dukes, who could tell something with only the lift of an eyebrow.

[Caid Ivik]

"Religion supresses curiosity." - Stolen Journals (GEoD)

[Vanguard3000]

I'm rereading Dune now, and I came across an interesting quote by Thufir.  It is in Castle Caladan, and Thufir has just chided Paul for having his back to the door.  He looks across to the sparring floor, where he sees a beat up old training mannequin, which reminds him of his own age and mortality.

There stand I, he thinks to himself.

[Mahdi]

My favourite is:

"the".

Sure it's int he middle of a sentence (nearlya llt he sentences coem to think of it.  Hmm, was Frank tryign to tell us something here?) and it seems to be just a word, but think about it.  Really think about it.

Thought about it?

Think you understand it?

Really gets to me, ya know?

[Vanguard3000]

:'(  Wow.  My whole world has changed.  That's deep, Mahdi.  That's deep...

[Dunenewt]

The Tleilaxu one and the 'If wishes were fishes...' one.