I believe the novella is the perfect form of prose fiction. It is the beautiful daughter of a rambling, bloated ill-shaven giant (but a giant who's a genius on his best days).

...falling in love could be achieved in a single word—a glance.

come back, come back to me

Imagining what it is like to be someone other than yourself is at the core of our humanity. It is the essence of compassion, and it is the beginning of morality.

I've never had a moment's doubt. I love you. I believe in you completely. You are my dearest one. My reason for life.

A person is, among all else, a material thing, easily torn and not easily mended.

True intelligence requires fabulous imagination.

When its gone, you'll know what a gift love was. you'll suffer like this. So go back and fight to keep it.

I'm holding back, delaying the information. I'm lingering in the prior moment because it was a time when other outcomes were still possible.

Observing human variety can give pleasure, but so too can human sameness.

What idiocy, to racing into this story and its labyrinths, sprinting away from our happiness among the fresh spring grasses by the oak.

Only a generation of readers will span a generation of writers.

If you are truly able to walk in the shoes of Christ, the very label of religion called Christianity would disappear from the face of earth.

Right, my phone. When these things first appeared, they were so cool. Only when it was too late did people realize they are as cool as electronic tags on remand prisoners.

The only thing more dangerous than an idea is a belief.

In your heart you know he's right.

Mother of Marvels, mysterious and tender Nature, why do we not live more in thee.

Every man goes through a period of thinking they're attracted to another guy.

There are still things out there in the universe to contemplate and spend our lives chasing.

There is nothing that living things do that cannot be understood from the point of view that they are made of atoms acting according to the laws of physics.

This country was a lot better off when the Indians were running it.