P. D. James
P. D. James
Phyllis Dorothy James, Baroness James of Holland Park, OBE, FRSA, FRSL, known as P. D. James, was an English crime writer. She rose to fame for her series of detective novels starring police commander and poet Adam Dalgliesh...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionNovelist
Date of Birth3 August 1920
raw-materials crafts increase
Increase your word power. Words are the raw material of our craft.
sex religion modern
The modern holy trinity is money, sex and celebrity.
breathing metaphysical speculation
Metaphysical speculation is about as pointless as a discussion on the meaning of one's lungs. They're for breathing.
stupid voting slavery
I can understand the poor and stupid voting for Marxism or one of its fashionable variants. If you've no hope of being other than a slave, you may as well opt for the most efficient form of slavery.
heart mystery humans
The greatest mystery of all is the human heart,
sex taken emotional
I find it extraordinary that a straightforward if inelegant device for ensuring the survival of the species should involve human beings in such emotional turmoil. Does sex have to be taken so seriously?
may superficial genuine
Charm is always genuine; it may be superficial but it isn't false.
inspirational long littles
It's easy to get a reputation for wisdom. It's only necessary to live long, speak little and do less.
love-always
Love, always love. Perhaps that’s what we’re all looking for.
art literature works-of-art
I don't see why escapist literature shouldn't also be a work of art.
fiction belief moral
Crime fiction confirms our belief, despite some evidence to the contrary, that we live in a rational, comprehensible, and moral universe.
order detectives restoration
What the detective story is about is not murder but the restoration of order.
daughter hurt children
The weekend break had begun with the usual resentment and had continued with half-repressed ill humour. It was, of course, his fault. He had been more ready to hurt his wife's feelings and deprive his daughter than inconvenience a pub bar full of strangers. He wished there could be one memory of his dead child which wasn't tainted with guilt and regret.
fighting stupidity together
It's possible to fight intolerance, stupidity and fanaticism when they come separately. When you get all three together it's probably wiser to get out, if only to preserve your sanity.