How we cite our quotes:
Quote #4
And if I start thinking about something which didn't happen I start thinking about all the other things which didn't happen.
For example, this morning for breakfast I had Ready Brek and some hot raspberry milk shake. But if I stay that I actually had Shreddies and a mug of tea I start thinking about Coco-Pops and lemonade and porridge and Dr. Pepper and how I wasn't eating my breakfast in Egypt and there wasn't a rhinoceros in the room and Father wasn't wearing a diving suit and so on and even writing this makes me feel shaky and scared, like I do when I'm standing on the top of a very tall building and there are thousands of houses and cars and people below me and my head is so full of all these things that I'm afraid that I'm going to forget to stand up straight and hang onto the rail and I'm going to fall over and be killed. (37.3-4)
Christopher claims that he has a hard time imagining things that haven't happened to him (7.6). But it's clear from this passage that he actually has a pretty incredible imagination. Who knew that all the infinite possibilities in the universe were contained in just a single made-up breakfast?
Quote #5
I think people believe in heaven because they don't like the idea of dying, because they want to carry on living and they don't like the idea that other people will move into their house and put their things into the rubbish. (61.6)
Christopher has touched on a pretty deep issue here. In this case, his version of reality lines up with a lot of people's, but he seems to be a little disrespectful of the people who don't agree with him.
Quote #6
It is permitted to move the chairs and the table in the kitchen because this is different but it makes me feel dizzy and sick if someone has moved the sofa and the chairs around in the living room or the dining room. (73.2)
What does this mean, that moving things in the kitchen is "permitted"? Why does Christopher get to make the rules?