Best Of Helen Oyeyemi's "Parasol Against the Axe"

Here is a selection of memorable quotes from Parasol Against the Axe by Helen Oyeyemi

By contrast, Hero’s tendency toward non reaction (anti reaction?) had an immediate effect. A luminous frost set in; one that gave even hardened egoists pase…it seemed so starkly unwise to reveal oneself to someone who wore this particular listening face.

p.8

A great many books are firmly closed despite the general impression that they’re wide open — they’ll jovially present their back cover as page one and be baffled that you thought there’d be more. Some of these adamantly close books are also people. There you go: you can picture Hero Tojosa like that if you want to. 

p.8

Livia was storm, stress, and carnage on every level.

p.35

It was a good base of operations, smilingly discreet, not winkingly discreet— the distinction was vital.

p.35

She was no longer invested in the effort of displaying uniqueness, or forcing somebody else to exhibit theirs. It was beginning to look as I she had the loves she pursued really were just like everybody else, even in ways they tried to prove that they weren’t.

P.97

He was the very picture of drollery—partly due to the gormlessness of his grin, but mostly on account of his preposterous purple beret: it slouched across his head like a fat grape befuddled by its own juices.

p.131