He sees very clearly - he damn sure sees through me. It's hard to accept that someone can understand you without wishing you well. At Starling's age it hadn't happened to her much.

I have no interest in understanding sheep, only eating them.

And be grateful. Our scars have the power to remind us that the past was real.

Human emotions are a gift from our animal ancestors. Cruelty is a gift humanity has given itself.

I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti

You will not persuade me with appeals to my intellectual vanity.

Whenever feasible, one should always try to eat the rude.

You must understand that when you are writing a novel you are not making anything up. It's all there and you just have to find it.

A census taker tried to quantify me once. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a big Amarone. Go back to school, little Starling.

The tragedy is not to die, but to be wasted.

I'm giving serious thought into eating yor wife” - Hannibal Lecter

But in introducing me simultaneously to skepticism and to wonder, they taught me the two uneasily cohabiting modes of thought that are central to the scientific method.

Dream your dreams.Ask God to help you.God will pour overflowing grace and divine power upon your life to accomplish your dreams.

My voice is never much louder than a ripple, but even small voices sound loud when you talk about things that matter.

With rue my heart is laden For golden friends I had, For many a rose-lipped maiden And many a lightfoot lad.

A consultant to be worth his salt must give honest judgments not necessarily those which he thinks the clients would like to hear.

When I was 14, I tried to stab someone.

Please accept a promise from me in his name that I will always live in the religion in which he died.

I was going to buy my girl a Packard car for Christmas, but it took too long to deliver, so I bought her some handkerchiefs.

Look at the potential for America. Look at the direction we've been going. Look at the direction we need to go.

In my career, I learned that giving your services for free gives you a good return on your investment, not just financially but morally. It supplements your personal integrity.