The imagination demands that life be told slant because of its need of distance.

My favorite optimist was an American who jumped off the Empire State Building, and as he passed the 42nd floor, the window washers heard him say, 'So Far, so good.'

When I was in my 20s it did occur to me that there was something perverted about an attitude that thought that killing somebody was a minor offence compared to kissing somebody.

We absolutely believed in Heaven and Hell, Purgatory, and even Limbo. I mean, they were actually closer to us than Australia or Canada, that they were real places.

I belong to the middle class that grew up very influenced by the Catholic church. The people of the novel are from a more pagan and practical world in which the Christianity is just a veneer.

The best of life is life lived quietly, where nothing happens but our calm journey through the day, where change is imperceptible and the precious life is everything.

When you're in danger of losing a thing it becomes precious and when it's around us, it's in tedious abundance and we take it for granted as if we're going to live forever, which we're not.

I read all the time. I was reading a book I admire very much by Alice McDermot called Charming Billy.

Ireland is a peculiar society in the sense that it was a nineteenth century society up to about 1970 and then it almost bypassed the twentieth century.

I love the description of Gothic churches before the printed word, that they were the bibles of the poor.

Yes, but also one of the problems for a novelist in Ireland is the fact that there are no formal manners. I mean some people have beautiful manners but there's no kind of agreed form of manners.

the bleakest situations bring out the hospitality in all of us, but it's during the harshest we find out how strong we really are.

Not only believe in yourself but trust in yourself. Confidence will bloom.

Love the sinner and hate the sin.

Ignorance is toxic.

I'm the most gregarious of men and love good company, but never less alone when alone.

To live exuberantly, we must be prepared to illuminate the dark spots in ourselves.

To succeed, jump as quickly at opportunities as you do at conclusions.

For a man's house is his castle, et domus sua cuique tutissimum refugium [and one's home is the safest refuge to everyone].

You might have some people that disagree with populism and anti-globalism and so forth, but Donald Trump has no desire to undermine America.

Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president.