He who climbs a cliff may die on the cliff, so what? Always a risk-taker by nature, now I became one by intent.

In a still hot morning, the tide went out and didn't come back in. This was not a spectacular event. The sea did not roll up like a scroll, like the sky in Revelations. It quietly withdrew.

The world is full of novels in which characters simply say and do. There are certainly legitimate genres in which this is sufficient. But in real and lasting writing the character is.

Writing is a passion I have never understood, yet a storyteller is all I have ever wanted to be.

[a]nd the Pig Man came in from Waitomo and swore that if Louisa didn't marry him he'd damn well vote Labour at the next ele

And when he got home he started on Mumma. He hated her then, because in her fatness and untidiness and drabness she reminded him of what he himself was when he was sober.

What has being a girl to do with anything if a person in properly qualified?' ... 'It's what you call prejudice, ' she said.

Then she said, with piteous defiance, "If I could love her, the Good Lord could, and he won't be too hard on an old lady who didn't have an easy life.

As long as you're not hurting anyone or anything, including your future self, do only that which makes you happy.

It was a sacrifice worthy of her and dreams are made to be killed.

Absolute freedom mocks at justice. Absolute justice denies freedom.

There are very few times in creation in your life. One time is when you become an adult, one time is when your parents die, and the other time is when you are very old.

We may go to church once a week, but our Christian life is daily - step-by-step.

If they think I'm going to stop at that stop sign, they're mistaken!

Fischer prefers to enter Chess history alone

Whatever the future holds I'm not really sure.

Rather fail with honor than succeed by fraud.

Banks are there to support businesses that have justifiable needs.