# Quote — J. P. Donleavy, Ginger Man

> I comforted her with readings from this Aquinas because he says it's good for you. And I said, tenderly earwards, heads on the pillow, that from manure, lilies grow. To know the real goodness one had to be bad and of sin. What good is it to God for a child to be born pure, to live purely and die purely. Where was the grace in that shallow, white sterility? You don't want that stuff. No. Get down it, down. The greatest whiteness is touched with black. The righteous were a sneaky bunch anyway.

- Author: [J. P. Donleavy](https://www.leafyquotes.com/j-p-donleavy.md)
- Book: [Ginger Man](https://www.leafyquotes.com/j-p-donleavy/ginger-man.md)
- Page: 210
- Source: [Wikiquote](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/J._P._Donleavy#The_Ginger_Man_(1955)) ([CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/))
- Quote page: https://www.leafyquotes.com/j-p-donleavy/ginger-man/i-comforted-her

## More from this book

> "What are you going to do in London?"
>
> "Rest from the eyes. Ever notice the eyes along the street. Ever notice them? Looking for something. And in this fine cultured city it's me."

p. 239 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/j-p-donleavy/ginger-man/what-are-you.md)

> "I'm suspicious about people interested in saving other people's souls."

p. 214 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/j-p-donleavy/ginger-man/im-suspicious-about.md)

> "Mr Dangerfield, why don't you believe in hell and things like that?"
>
> "Hell is for poor people."

p. 228 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/j-p-donleavy/ginger-man/mr-dangerfield-why.md)