25 Best Quotes from The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman

Let me be honest with you. I did not like The Thursday Murder Club. Twice!

So, when my Book Club came up with Book Two as their next read, I took it the way you’d take a dish you’ve already decided you don’t like: politely, skeptically, fully prepared to be proven right.

Richard Osman had other plans.

Book Two didn’t just win me over, it overpowered me! The writing was sharper, the characters richer, and the blend of humour and genuine warmth hit in a way Book One just didn’t. I finished the book in two sittings. Then I got Book Three. And then, book Four. I was, for the lack of a better word, addicted!

Check out my full and public apology to Richard Osman in the review for this book here.

That’s why this quote selection means much more than just “pretty lines on a page”. It’s a record on how one book can completely change your mind about a series, and an author. If you’re sitting on the fence with Osman, I’d ask you to try The Man Who Died Twice .

Life, time, and getting on with it

We are all gone in the blink of an eye, and there is nothing to do but live while you’re waiting. Cause trouble, play chess, whatever suits you.

And if one is never lost in life, then clearly one has never traveled anywhere interesting.

Time flies when you are living it.

What if pretending to enjoy life is the same as actually enjoying it?

You do whatever you want. But looking forward, not back.

resilience, growth & climbing mountains

Let it go. Remember it as a happy time. You were at the top of the mountain, and now you’re in a valley. It will happen to you a number of times. So what do I do now? You climb the next mountain, of course.

You made the biggest mistake of them all. You forgot to live, you just hid away, safe and sound.

Sometimes, you had to do things differently, if you wanted to grow as a human being.

Some people in life are weather forecasters, whereas other people are the weather itself.

friendship, belonging & being loved

They don’t need anything in return other than her happiness and her friendship. They just like her. It has taken Elizabeth a long time to accept the truth of that.

It was positive to have a home in which he felt safe. To be surrounded by people who made him feel safer still.

I am learning that it is important to stop sometimes, and just have a drink and a gossip with friends, even as corpses start to pile up around you.

revenge, danger & dark wit

Revenge is not a straight line, it’s a circle. It’s a grenade that goes off while you’re still in the room, and you can’t help but be caught in the blast.

They say a man who desires revenge should dig two graves, and this is surely right.

Connie: When I get out, you’re a dead man.
Ron: Well, I’m seventy-five, and you’ll be doing thirty years so, yeah, agreed.

Liars like Lomax always sound at their most unconvincing when they’re telling the truth. They’re simply not used to it.

Wit, wisdom & wonderfully dry observations

More women are murdering people these days. If you ignore the context, it is a real sign of progress.
– Joyce

My palace has many rooms. Some are dustier than others.
– Elizabeth

Oh, I never take offense. Such an effort.
– Joyce

He doesn’t miss the good old days, he misses his good old days. He doesn’t suppose they were good for most people.

People love to sleep, and yet they are so frightened of death.

He buys three other books too, because he wants the bookshop still to be there when he comes back next week.

If any of those stopped you mid-scroll, that’s the book. That’s what it feels like on every other page. I went in a sceptic and came out someone who cleared their schedule for the rest of the series.

Osman is doing something sneaky and generous at the same time: he hides genuinely wise writing inside a murder mystery, so you don’t see it coming until it’s already landed. Book One might be mediocre, but Book Two is where he stops playing games.

Which quote from The Man Who Died Twice is your favourite? Share it in the comments or tag me on social media if you turn one of these into a quote card.

Book Links:

Want to purchase this or any of your favourite books while supporting a local bookstore? Consider purchasing using the sites below — they work with independent local bookstore owners to fulfil your book orders. #SupportLocal

Indiebookstores.ca | Bookshop.org
Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | OpenLibrary | Litsy
Check out more books from Penguin Random House