Subject: Human Nature
Quote: “[H]uman nature is much the same everywhere, and, of course, one has opportunities of observing it at closer quarters in a village.”
Character: Miss Jane Marple
Chapter/Story: 6—“The Thumb Mark of St. Peter”
Book Title/Copyright: The Tuesday Club Murders, 1928
Subject: Human Nature
Quote: “Everybody is very much alike, really. But fortunately, perhaps, they don’t realize it.”
Character: Miss Jane Marple
Chapter/Story: 6—“The Thumb Mark of St. Peter”
Book Title/Copyright: The Tuesday Club Murders, 1928
Subject: Generalizations
Quote: I often wonder why the whole world is so prone to generalize. Generalizations are seldom or ever true, and are usually utterly inaccurate.
Character: The Vicar
Chapter/Story: 23
Book Title/Copyright: Murder at the Vicarage, 1930
Subject: Gullibility
Quote: “Men like Archer and his pals would swear to anything. There’s no believing a word they say. We know that. But the public doesn’t, and the jury’s taken from the public, more’s the pity. They know nothing, and ten to one believe everything that’s said in the witness box, no matter who it is that says it.”
Character: Inspector Slack
Chapter/Story: 25
Book Title/Copyright: Murder at the Vicarage, 1930
Subject: Egoism
Quote: “One wonders…what it’s all for.”
Familiar words…with their unconscious betrayal of the innate egoism of humanity, which insists on regarding every manifestation of life as directly designed for its delight or its torment.
Character: Anthony Cosdon and Mr. Satterthwaite’s thoughts
Chapter/Story: “The Man from the Sea’
Book Title/Copyright: The Mysterious Mr. Quin, 1930
Subject: Making Enemies
Quote: “It’s my experience…that a man who makes enemies in one place will make them in another.”
Character: Inspector Narracott
Chapter/Story: 4—Inspector Narracott
Book Title/Copyright: Murder at Hazelmoor, 1931
Subject: Human Troubles
Quote: “Human troubles are easily classified into a few main heads. There is ill health. There is boredom. There are wives who are in trouble over their husbands. There are husbands…who are in trouble over their wives.”
Character: Mr. Parker Pyne
Chapter/Story: “The Case of the Discontented Husband”
Book Title/Copyright: Mr. Parker Pyne, Detective, 1932
Subject: The Truth Will Out
Quote: “[T]here is nothing so dangerous for any one who has something to hide as conversation! Speech, so a wise old Frenchman said to me once, is an invention of man’s to prevent him from thinking. It is also an infallible means of discovering that which he wishes to hide. A human being, Hastings, cannot resist the opportunity to reveal himself and express his personality, which conversation gives him. Every time he will give himself away.”
Character: M. Hercule Poirot
Chapter/Story: 31 – Hercule Poirot Asks Questions
Book Title/Copyright: The A.B.C. Murders, 1936
Subject: Human Nature
Quote: “I must say,” said Sir Henry ruefully, “that I do dislike the way you reduce us all to a general common denominator.”
“Miss Marple shook her head sadly. “Human nature is very much the same anywhere, Sir Henry.”
Character: Sir Henry Clithering and Miss Jane Marple
Chapter/Story: 11
Book Title/Copyright: The Body in the Library, 1942
Subject: Change
Quote: “I’ve changed. I’ve been away for three—four years. Now I’ve come back I’m not the same person who went away. That’s the tragedy everywhere. People coming home changed, having to readjust themselves. You can’t go away and lead a different kind of life and not change!”
“You are wrong,” said Poirot. “The tragedy of life is that people do not change…. It is so. Why did you join the Wrens in the first place?… You wanted to get away. You wanted to go abroad, to see life…. And now, you are restless, you still want—to get away! Oh no, mademoiselle, people do not change!”
Character: Lynn Marchmont and M. Hercule Poirot
Chapter/Story: Book Two—12
Book Title/Copyright: There is a Tide, 1948
Subject: Humility and Brotherhood
Quote: “For when you say, ‘I am not as other men’—you have lost the two most valuable qualities we have ever tried to attain: --humility and brotherhood.”
Character: Mr. Dakin
Chapter/Story: 14
Book Title/Copyright: They Came to Baghdad, 1951
Subject: Human Nature
Quote: “You think that human nature is the same everywhere?” Hilary asked.
“In every country. In the past as in the present there are always the two things that rule. Cruelty and benevolence! One or the other. Sometimes both.”
Character: Hilary Craven and Mr. Aristides
Chapter/Story: 7
Book Title/Copyright: So Many Steps to Death, 1954
Subject: Being Peculiar
Quote: “People do very terrible things….Yes, of course she was a little peculiar, as they say, but I never see myself that that’s any real excuse. I mean you can be a little peculiar in so many different ways. Sometimes you just go about giving all your possessions away and writing checks on bank accounts that don’t exist, just so as to benefit people. It shows, you see, that behind being peculiar you have quite a nice disposition. But of course if you’re peculiar and behind it you have a bad disposition, well, there you are.”
Character: Miss Jane Marple
Chapter/Story: 25
Book Title/Copyright: What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw! [4:50 From Paddington], 1957
Quote: “[H]uman nature is much the same everywhere, and, of course, one has opportunities of observing it at closer quarters in a village.”
Character: Miss Jane Marple
Chapter/Story: 6—“The Thumb Mark of St. Peter”
Book Title/Copyright: The Tuesday Club Murders, 1928
Subject: Human Nature
Quote: “Everybody is very much alike, really. But fortunately, perhaps, they don’t realize it.”
Character: Miss Jane Marple
Chapter/Story: 6—“The Thumb Mark of St. Peter”
Book Title/Copyright: The Tuesday Club Murders, 1928
Subject: Generalizations
Quote: I often wonder why the whole world is so prone to generalize. Generalizations are seldom or ever true, and are usually utterly inaccurate.
Character: The Vicar
Chapter/Story: 23
Book Title/Copyright: Murder at the Vicarage, 1930
Subject: Gullibility
Quote: “Men like Archer and his pals would swear to anything. There’s no believing a word they say. We know that. But the public doesn’t, and the jury’s taken from the public, more’s the pity. They know nothing, and ten to one believe everything that’s said in the witness box, no matter who it is that says it.”
Character: Inspector Slack
Chapter/Story: 25
Book Title/Copyright: Murder at the Vicarage, 1930
Subject: Egoism
Quote: “One wonders…what it’s all for.”
Familiar words…with their unconscious betrayal of the innate egoism of humanity, which insists on regarding every manifestation of life as directly designed for its delight or its torment.
Character: Anthony Cosdon and Mr. Satterthwaite’s thoughts
Chapter/Story: “The Man from the Sea’
Book Title/Copyright: The Mysterious Mr. Quin, 1930
Subject: Making Enemies
Quote: “It’s my experience…that a man who makes enemies in one place will make them in another.”
Character: Inspector Narracott
Chapter/Story: 4—Inspector Narracott
Book Title/Copyright: Murder at Hazelmoor, 1931
Subject: Human Troubles
Quote: “Human troubles are easily classified into a few main heads. There is ill health. There is boredom. There are wives who are in trouble over their husbands. There are husbands…who are in trouble over their wives.”
Character: Mr. Parker Pyne
Chapter/Story: “The Case of the Discontented Husband”
Book Title/Copyright: Mr. Parker Pyne, Detective, 1932
Subject: The Truth Will Out
Quote: “[T]here is nothing so dangerous for any one who has something to hide as conversation! Speech, so a wise old Frenchman said to me once, is an invention of man’s to prevent him from thinking. It is also an infallible means of discovering that which he wishes to hide. A human being, Hastings, cannot resist the opportunity to reveal himself and express his personality, which conversation gives him. Every time he will give himself away.”
Character: M. Hercule Poirot
Chapter/Story: 31 – Hercule Poirot Asks Questions
Book Title/Copyright: The A.B.C. Murders, 1936
Subject: Human Nature
Quote: “I must say,” said Sir Henry ruefully, “that I do dislike the way you reduce us all to a general common denominator.”
“Miss Marple shook her head sadly. “Human nature is very much the same anywhere, Sir Henry.”
Character: Sir Henry Clithering and Miss Jane Marple
Chapter/Story: 11
Book Title/Copyright: The Body in the Library, 1942
Subject: Change
Quote: “I’ve changed. I’ve been away for three—four years. Now I’ve come back I’m not the same person who went away. That’s the tragedy everywhere. People coming home changed, having to readjust themselves. You can’t go away and lead a different kind of life and not change!”
“You are wrong,” said Poirot. “The tragedy of life is that people do not change…. It is so. Why did you join the Wrens in the first place?… You wanted to get away. You wanted to go abroad, to see life…. And now, you are restless, you still want—to get away! Oh no, mademoiselle, people do not change!”
Character: Lynn Marchmont and M. Hercule Poirot
Chapter/Story: Book Two—12
Book Title/Copyright: There is a Tide, 1948
Subject: Humility and Brotherhood
Quote: “For when you say, ‘I am not as other men’—you have lost the two most valuable qualities we have ever tried to attain: --humility and brotherhood.”
Character: Mr. Dakin
Chapter/Story: 14
Book Title/Copyright: They Came to Baghdad, 1951
Subject: Human Nature
Quote: “You think that human nature is the same everywhere?” Hilary asked.
“In every country. In the past as in the present there are always the two things that rule. Cruelty and benevolence! One or the other. Sometimes both.”
Character: Hilary Craven and Mr. Aristides
Chapter/Story: 7
Book Title/Copyright: So Many Steps to Death, 1954
Subject: Being Peculiar
Quote: “People do very terrible things….Yes, of course she was a little peculiar, as they say, but I never see myself that that’s any real excuse. I mean you can be a little peculiar in so many different ways. Sometimes you just go about giving all your possessions away and writing checks on bank accounts that don’t exist, just so as to benefit people. It shows, you see, that behind being peculiar you have quite a nice disposition. But of course if you’re peculiar and behind it you have a bad disposition, well, there you are.”
Character: Miss Jane Marple
Chapter/Story: 25
Book Title/Copyright: What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw! [4:50 From Paddington], 1957
