If you are good life is good.

It's a funny thing about mothers and fathers. Even when their own child is the most disgusting little blister you could ever imagine, they still think that he or she is wonderful.

I cannot for the life of me understand why small children take so long to grow up. I think they do it deliberately, just to annoy me.

I'm wondering what to read next." Matilda said. "I've finished all the children's books.

I'm right and you're wrong, I'm big and you're small, and there's nothing you can do about it.

There are many things that make a man irritable when he arrives home from work in the evening and a sensible wife will usually notice the storm-signals and will leave him alone until he simmers down.

So Matilda's strong young mind continued to grow, nurtured by the voices of all those authors who had sent their books out into the world like ships on the sea.

You seemed so far away, " Miss Honey whispered, awestruck."Oh, I was. I was flying past the stars on silver wings, " Matilda said. "It was wonderful.

I'm afraid men are not always quite as clever as they think they are. You will learn that when you get a bit older, my girl.

She resented being told constantly that she was stupid, when she knew she wasn't.

No, not horror. Enlightenment.

The biggest battle is the war against ignorance.

I enjoyed school - although I ran away on the first day. I'd reminded the teacher that it was nearly time for 'Watch With Mother' on TV.

The natural state of man is to want to be free. To have opportunities. To have choices.

Starring in a science-fiction film doesn't mean you have to act science fiction.

If Christ can die in a barn, I think the death of a human in a van is not so bad.

There seemed to be no end to this wood, and no beginning, and no difference in it, and, worse of all, no way out

People come out to rough me up because they think I'm not going to play well. And maybe when I was in my teen years it worked well. But I'm used to it now.

I was doing what I thought I had to do. There was romance in the idea of being married. It was just the wrong reasons.