In the movie Magnolia this quote is preceded by “And the book says . . .”
Which book says this???
I might be wrong, but I’m pretty sure “and the book says…” is only used as an expression. I don’t think it’s meant to be a reference to any actual book. The narrator is just being cute.
Kind of like a cooler way to say “Well, you know what they say…”
The reference is to a book Paul read which dealt with mythical stories (including the falling frogs, which is where Paul read about this; it was only later, after one of his actors pointed out it was also in the bible, that he implemented the Exodus numbers into the script). I wish I could remember the author’s name.
I found reference on another message board that might help clarify matters.
I wonder if the quote (either in the film or in the film’s source) was inspired by Faulkner’s “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” (From 1951’s Requiem for a Nun.)