Included below is a collection of quotes made by Marcus Isaacson and Lucius Isaacson from the Alienist books. For basic information about the Isaacson brothers, a character analysis of the Isaacson brothers, or character testimonials about the Isaacson brothers, please use the menu.
Marcus & Lucius Isaacson Quotes
Introductions
The Alienist, 73:
“I’m Sergeant Marcus Isaacson,” the taller man went on, “and this is my brother, Lucius.”
The shorter man looked annoyed as he extended a hand. “Detective Sergeant Lucius Isaacson, Doctor,” he said. Then, leaning back, he murmured, “Don’t do that again. You said you wouldn’t.”
Marcus Isaacson rolled his eyes, then tried to smile at us as he, too, spoke out of the side of his mouth. “What? What did I do?”
“Don’t introduce me as your brother,” Lucius Isaacson whispered urgently.
Their Names
The Alienist, 73:
Kreizler went on: “First of all, I’d like to know -“
“If you’re wondering about our names,” Marcus interrupted, “our mother and father were very concerned, when they arrived in America, that their children not be subjected to anti-Jewish feelings in school.”
“We were relatively lucky,” Lucius added. “Our sister’s name is Cordelia.”
“You see,” Marcus continued, “they were learning English by studying Shakespeare. When I was born they’d just started with Julius Caesar. A year later, they were still on it, and my brother came. But by the time our sister arrived, two years after that, they were making progress, and had gotten to King Lear –“
“I’ve no doubt, gentlemen,” Kreizler finished for him, ever more concerned and treating them fully to the arched eyebrows and the predator gaze. “Interesting though that may be, what I had intended to ask was how you arrived at your areas of specialization, and what led you to the police force.
Lucius sighed, looking up. “Nobody wants to hear how we got our names, Marcus,” he mumbled. “I’ve told you that.”
Like A Pair Of Bickering Kids
The Angel of Darkness, 41-2:
“Just couldn’t resist, could you?” I heard Marcus say over the din of the mare’s horseshoes on the stones.
“Resist what?” Lucius answered in a kind of squeak, already on the defensive as he clung for life to the side of the cab.
“You just had to take the opportunity to lecture them all, as if we were in some elementary school classroom,” Marcus answered in irritation.
“I was recording important evidence!” Lucius answered. Glancing back once, I could see that they were leaning toward each other over Cyrus and the bewildered cabbie, like a pair of bickering kids. Cyrus just smiled at me — we’d seen a hundred scenes like this before. The cabbie, however, seemed to be thinking that the strange spat was further evidence that he’d been abducted by lunatics.
“‘Recording important evidence,'” Marcus echoed. “You were grandstanding! As if we don’t have enough problems in the department right now, without you acting like an old schoolmarm!”
“That’s ridiculous –” Lucius tried. But Marcus wasn’t having any of it.
“Ridiculous? You’ve been that way since you were eight years old!”
“Marcus!” Lucius was trying to get a grip on himself. “This is no place to bring up –“
“Every day, when we’d get home from school — ‘Mama! Papa! I can recite my whole day’s lessons, listen, listen!'”
“– no place to bring up personal –“
“Never occurred to you that Mama and Papa were too goddamned tired to listen to your entire day’s lessons. No, you just went right ahead –“
“They were proud of me!” Lucius hollered, abandoning all attempts at dignity.
Their Obsession With Detail
The Angel of Darkness, 312:
“Stevie?” I heard Mr. Moore answer. “We’re down here!”
“Where’s ‘here’?”
“Bear left as you come down the hill!” he answered. “We’re just behind a stand of pine trees!” I started to follow the instructions, then heard Mr. Moore’s voice again: “Oh, dammit, Lucius, I don’t care what kind of pine trees they are!”
Whining
The Angel of Darkness, 312-3:
“Ow!” he shouted. “Will you please be careful, dammit?”
“Oh, for once in your life stop whining!” Marcus answered.
“Whining?” Lucius shot back. “I like that! I’m down here in this filth, exposing myself to God-knows-how-many diseases…!”