When doing a job — any job — one must feel that he owns it, and act as though he will remain in that job forever.

Optimism and stupidity are nearly synonymous.

If you are going to sin, sin against God, not the bureaucracy. God will forgive you but the bureaucracy won't.

Nothing so sharpens the thought process as writing down one's arguments. Weaknesses overlooked in oral discussion become painfully obvious on the written page.

Success teaches us nothing only failure teaches.

Your greatest highs come from overcoming your greatest lows.

To understand Jesus Christ, you must know the Language of Heaven.

I am a novelist, and my goal in writing a novel is to leave the reader not knowing what to think. A good novel shouldn't have a point.

That crafty kindness which inveigles me to sacrifice principle is the serpent in the grass - deadly to the incautious wayfarer.

When the French nation gradually came into existence among the ruins of the Roman civilization in Gaul, a new language was at the same time slowly evolved.

Politics, they all - talked to the insiders.

In my opinion, there are two things that can absolutely not be carried to the screen: the realistic presentation of the sexual act and praying to God.

Oh God," I said. "I'm Zmey's daughter. Zmey junior. Zmeyette, even.

In August most of Europe goes on holiday.

The king pawn and the queen pawn are the only ones to be moved in the early part of the game.