Günter Grass

Even bad books are books and therefore sacred.

Granted: I AM an inmate of a mental hospital; my keeper is watching me, he never lets me out of his sight; there's a peep-hole in the door, and my keeper's eye is the shade of brown that can never see through a blue-eyed type like me.

Today I know that all things are watching, that nothing goes unseen, that even wallpaper has a better memory than human beings.

You are vain and wicked--as a genius should be.

Translation is that which transforms everything so that nothing changes.

After the collapse of socialism, capitalism remained without a rival. This unusual situation unleashed its greedy and - above all - its suicidal power. The belief is now that everything - and everyone - is fair game.

The job of a citizen is to keep his mouth open.

If Jesus had been a hunchback, they could hardly have nailed him to the cross.

Because men
are killing the forests
the fairy tales are running away.
The spindle doesn't know
whom to prick,
the little girl's hands
that her father has chopped off,
haven't a single tree to catch hold of,
the third wish remains unspoken.
King Thrushbeard no longer owns one thing.
Children can no longer get lost.
The number seven means no more than exactly seven.
Because men have killed the forests,
the fairy tales are trotting off to the cities
and end badly.