How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
I stopped pulling at her hair and laid my hand flat upon her head, as if comforting a friend in a time of grief. All apprehension left me now. All pain. The warmth of whiskey. An unknown joy.
These are the last moments of my life. (7.57-8)
We're not even halfway through the book and already Abe has started to think about death as a nice rest. (We've read some long books that had us thinking the same thing.) Abe feels this connection between death and relaxation in a moment of, let's say, stress (a vampire is attacking him), but this connection remains for Abe through most of the book, even when he's not being killed by vampires.
Quote #8
I fear that a life of death has made me numb to both. (9.21)
Classic slayer conundrum. When you're surrounded by death, it starts to look not so bad, and that makes it a whole lot harder to enjoy your life. Plus, he's busy all the time, what with that ever-growing hit list of his. See, it's all about destiny, and it doesn't seem Abe has much of a choice. As long as he's Abe, he's a vampire hunter. Buffy would understand.
Quote #9
I have come to believe that the only peace in this life is the end of it. Let me wake at last from this nightmare... this brief, meaningless nightmare of loss and struggle. Of endless sacrifice. All that I love waits on the other side of death. (11.98)
Aw, thanks, Abe, for spelling it all out for us so nicely. This quote comes after Willie's death. Willie is his favorite kid (don't tell the others), so this death packed an especially rough punch. What's interesting here is that Abe seems to believe in reuniting with his loved ones after death; but at the same time, he wouldn't go along with Henry's plan to reunite with his loved ones by making them into vampires. It really does raise the question of what's so wrong with being made into a vampire. Is meeting up with your loved ones in heaven all that different? Does it really matter where you are, if you're together?