Without a doubt, Cassandra Clare’s writing in Clockwork Prince was exquisite, graceful, and lyrical with its beautiful descriptions and introspective reflections of each character. Reading this novel was similar to witnessing a ballet dancer on the stage – opulent and elegant. However, I found particular quotes that can be equivalent to rubbing salt on a wound and sprinkling sugar on toast. I love each character in this book so much and hopefully these quotes flesh them enough for you to feel, relate, and experience with them.
- “We live and breathe words. It was books that made me feel that perhaps I was not completely alone. They could be honest with me, and I with them. Reading your words, what you wrote, how you were lonely sometimes and afraid, but always brave; the way you saw the world, its colors and textures and sounds, I felt–I felt the way you thought, hoped, felt, dreamt. I felt I was dreaming and thinking and feeling with you. I dreamed what you dreamed, wanted what you wanted–and then I realized that truly I just wanted you.” – Will Herondale
2. “Jem said something then, in a language she didn’t understand. It sounded like “khalepa ta kala.” She frowned at him. “That isn’t Latin?”
“Greek,” he said. “It has two meanings. It means that that which is worth having—the good, fine, honorable, and noble things—are difficult to attain. It means something else as well. Tessa swallowed. “What’s that?” “It means ‘beauty is harsh’.”
3. “It was books that made me feel that perhaps I was not completely alone. They could be honest with me, and I with them.” – Jem Carstairs
4. “They say time heals all wounds, but that presumes the source of the grief is finite. Over. This is a fresh wound every day.” – Will Herondale
5. “She tore her mind away from the memories. Memories did one no good, not when one knew the truth in the present.” – Tessa Gray
6. “Everyone is afraid of death. We may be born of angels, but we have no more knowledge of what comes after death than you do.” – Will Herondale
7. “What is one person’s pleasure is another’s poison, don’t you find?” – Tessa Gray
8. “No one can live with nothing.” – Will Herondale
9. “One finds nobility in the oddest places, Soph.” – Tessa Gray
10. “Lies and secrets, Tessa. They are like cancer in the soul.” – Aunt Harriet
11. “And you will find that feelings fade too, the longer you live.” – Magnus Bane
12. “You don’t know that there is only oblivion after death.” – Magnus Bane
13. “It is always better to live the truth than to live a lie” – Magnus Bane
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