J. M. BARRIE QUOTES

Scottish novelist & dramatist (1860-1937)

The useless men are those who never change with the years.

J.M. BARRIE

The Little Minister


Temper [is] a weapon that we hold by the blade.

J.M. BARRIE

The Little Minister


Wise children always choose a mother who was a shocking flirt in her maiden days, and so had several offers before she accepted their fortunate papa.

J.M. BARRIE

The Little White Bird


To enjoy your holiday in bed to the full, you should let it be vaguely understood that there is something amiss with you. Don't go into details, for they are not necessary; and, besides, you want to be dreamy more or less, and the dreamy state is not consistent with a definite ailment.

J.M. BARRIE

"A Holiday in Bed", A Holiday in Bed and Other Sketches


Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else.

J. M. BARRIE

attributed, The New Dictionary of Thoughts


Facts were never pleasing to him. He acquired them with reluctance and got rid of them with relief. He was never on terms with them until he had stood them on their heads.

J. M. BARRIE

The Greenwood Hat


It is wonderful how much you can conceal between the touch of the handle and the opening of the door if your heart is in it.

J.M. BARRIE

Tommy and Grizel


Whenever a child says "I don't believe in fairies" there's a little fairy somewhere that falls right down dead.

J. M. BARRIE

Peter Pan


To die will be an awfully big adventure.

J.M. BARRIE

Peter Pan


It is frightfully difficult to know much about the fairies, and almost the only thing known for certain is that there are fairies wherever there are children.

J. M. BARRIE

Peter Pan


The life of every man is a diary in which he means to write one story, and writes another; and his humblest hour is when he compares the volume as it is with what he vowed to make it.

J.M. BARRIE

The Little Minister


Life is a long lesson in humility.

J.M. BARRIE

The Little Minister


When the first baby laughed for the first time, the laugh broke into a thousand pieces and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies.

J.M. BARRIE

Peter Pan


Shall we make a new rule of life from tonight: always to try to be a little kinder than is necessary?

J.M. BARRIE

The Little White Bird


Do you believe in fairies? If you believe clap your hands. Don't let Tinker die.

J. M. BARRIE

Peter Pan


The reason birds can fly and we can't is simply that they have perfect faith, for to have faith is to have wings.

J.M. BARRIE

The Little White Bird


Strength instead of being the lusty child of passion, grows by grappling with and subduing them.

J. M. BARRIE

The Little Minister


Let no one who loves be called altogether unhappy. Even love unreturned has its rainbow.

J.M. BARRIE

The Little Minister


The printing press is either the greatest blessing or the greatest curse of modern times, one sometimes forgets which.

J.M. BARRIE

Sentimental Tommy


We never understand how little we need in this world until we know the loss of it.

J.M. BARRIE

Margaret Ogilvy