The House with a Clock in Its Walls Quotes

“He invented the Fuse Box Dwarf, a little man who popped out at you from behind the paint cans in the cellarway and screamed, "Dreeb! Dreeb! I am the Fuse Box Dwarf!" Lewis was not scared by the little man, and he felt that those who scream "Dreeb" are more to be pitied than censured.”
― John Bellairs, The House with a Clock in Its Walls

“He held the book up to his nose. It smelled like Old Spice talcum powder. Books that smelled that way were usually fun to read. He threw the book onto his bed and went to his suitcase. After rummaging about for awhile, he came up with a long, narrow box of chocolate-covered mints. He loved to eat candy while he read, and lots of his favorite books at home had brown smudges on the corners of the pages.”
― John Bellairs, The House with a Clock in Its Walls

“Then there's no point in our being logical, is there?" said Jonathan...
"What do you mean?" said Lewis and Mrs. Zimmerman at the same time.
"I mean," he said patiently, "that we're no good at that sort of game. Our game is wild swoops, sudden inexplicable discoveries, cloudy thinking. Knights' jumps instead of files of rooks plowing across the board. So we'd better play our way if we expect to win.”
― John Bellairs, The House with a Clock in Its Walls

“He loved to eat candy while he read, and lots of his favorite books at home had brown smudges on the corners of the pages.”
― John Bellairs, The House with a Clock in Its Walls

“You can’t prepare for all the disasters that might occur in this frightening world of ours. If the devil appears or if we find that the End of the World is at hand, we’ll do something.”
― John Bellairs, The House with a Clock in Its Walls

“When you are hiding something, you get the feeling that every other secret is connected to your secret.”
― John Bellairs, The House with a Clock in Its Walls

“The last clock to strike was the grandfather clock in the study. It made a noise like a steamer trunk full of tin plates falling slowly and solemnly down a flight of stairs.”
― John Bellairs, The House with a Clock in Its Walls

“No, Lewis. This is a clock as real as grandpa over there.”
― John Bellairs, The House with a Clock in Its Walls

“He was going to live with his Uncle Jonathan, whom he had never met in his life. Of course, Lewis had heard a few things about Uncle Jonathan, like that he smoked and drank and played poker. These were not such bad things in a Catholic family, but Lewis had two maiden aunts who were Baptists, and they had warned him about Jonathan.”
― John Bellairs, The House with a Clock in Its Walls

“Quia tu es Deus fortitudo mea; quare me repulisti, et quare tristis incedo, dum affligit me inimicus?”
― John Bellairs, The House with a Clock in Its Walls

“When you are hiding something, you get the feeling that every other secret is connected to your secret. Lewis couldn't challenge anyone for fear of being exposed himself.”
― John Bellairs, The House with a Clock in Its Walls

“He puffed some more and was about to deal the first hand when he stopped and looked at Mrs. Zimmermann with a mischievous smile.
"Oh, by the way," he said, "you might bring Lewis a glass of iced tea, and get me a refill. No sugar. And bring out another plate of chocolate-chip cookies."
Mrs. Zimmermann stood up and clasped her hands subserviently in front of her. "How would you like your cookies, sir? Stuffed down your throat one by one, or crumbled up and sifted into your shirt collar?”
― John Bellairs, The House with a Clock in Its Walls

“other clocks all over the house joined in. Lewis sat entranced, listening to high-pitched dings, tinny whangs, melodious electric doorbell sounds, cuckoos from cuckoo clocks, and deep sinister Chinese gongs roaring bwaoww! bwaoww! These and many other clock sounds echoed through the house. Now and then during this concert Lewis looked at Jonathan. Jonathan did not look back. He was staring at the wall,”
― John Bellairs, The House with a Clock in Its Walls

“Oh, by the way,” he said, “you might bring Lewis a glass of iced tea, and get me a refill. No sugar. And bring out another plate of chocolate-chip cookies.” Mrs. Zimmermann stood up and clasped her hands subserviently in front of her. “How would you like your cookies, sir? Stuffed down your throat one by one, or crumbled up and sifted into your shirt collar?”
― John Bellairs, The House with a Clock in Its Walls

“full of stories about the old man’s exploits. As for the house at 100 High Street, it was”
― John Bellairs, The House with a Clock in Its Walls

“John L. Stoddard’s Lectures VOL. IX Scotland England”
― John Bellairs, The House with a Clock in Its Walls

“John L. Stoddard’s Lectures VOL. IX Scotland England London”
― John Bellairs, The House with a Clock in Its Walls

“Tarby was a popular boy, and he was used to being right about everything.”
― John Bellairs, The House with a Clock in Its Walls