John Fowles Quotes

To dwellers in a wood, almost every species of tree has its voice as well as its feature.

If I were a tree, I would have no reason to love a human.

I have often thought that my work with wildlife taught me the meaning of patience, and my work with the big trees taught me the meaning of humility, and my work with the ice has taught me the meaning of mortality.

He told them tales of bees and flowers, the ways of trees, and the strange creatures of the Forest, about the evil things and the good things, things friendly and things unfriendly, cruel things and kind things, and secrets hidden under brambles.

Fish and fowl, warm sun and shady trees, the field mice in the wheat, under the cool light of the moon.

I sometimes lose interest in the characters and get much more interested in the trees and animals.

The only water in the forest is the River.

If we don't preserve forest habitat for spotted owls, then soon we won't have trees to refresh the air we breathe. And we're realizing that this applies to social ecology, as well.

A tree without roots will fall over, whereas a tree with roots eventually becomes part of a forest.

The living environment is the biosphere, the thin layer around the world of living organisms. We're part of that. Our existence is dependent on it in ways that people haven't even begun to appreciate. Our existence depends not just on its existence, but its stability and its richness.

The trees encountered on a country stroll Reveal a lot about that country's soul ... A culture is no better than its woods.

I thought a forest was made up entirely of trees, but now I know that the foundation lies below ground, in the fungi.

Maples are such sociable trees ... They're always rustling and whispering to you.

I like to take the time out to listen to the trees, much in the same way that I listen to a sea shell, holding my ear against the rough bark of the trunk, hearing the inner singing of the sap. It's a lovely sound, the beating of the heart of the tree.

All Nature is linked together by invisible bonds and every organic creature, however low, however feeble, however dependent, is necessary to the well-being of some other among the myriad forms of life.

I had seen a herd of Elephant travelling through dense native forest ... pacing along as if they had an appointment at the end of the world.

A true forest is not merely a storehouse full of wood, but, as it were, a factory of wood.

We are nature. We are nature seeing nature. The red-winged blackbird flies in us.

The nature of the place...whether high or low, moist or dry, whether sloping north or south, or bearing tall trees or low shrubs...generally gives hint as to its inhabitants.

I was once walking through the forest alone. A tree fell right in front of me - and I didn't hear it.

far away from my country I would be like those trees they chop down at Christmastime, those poor rootless pines that last a little while and then die.

Man is embedded in nature.

The first rose on my rose-tree Budded, bloomed, and shattered, During sad days when to me Nothing mattered. Grief or grief has drained me clean; Still it seems a pity No one saw,—it must have been Very pretty.

Alexander smoked and watched her from his tree stump bench. What are you doing? she would ask him. Nothing, he would reply. Nothing but growing my pain into madness.