Do you realise that people die of boredom in London suburbs? It's the second biggest cause of death amongs the English in general. Sheer boredom...

That my philosophy of life is, as far as possible, one of enjoyment. I'm not nihilistic.

Old friends, like old shoes, are comfortable. But old shoes, unlike old friends, tend not to be supportive: it is easier to stumble and sprain an ankle while wearing a pair of old shoes than it is in new shoes, with their less yielding leather.

The point about love, the essential point, was that we loved what we loved. We did not choose. We just loved.

But don't we often lie to people we love, or not tell them things, precisely because we love them?

None of us knows how we will cope with snakes until the moment arises, and then most of us find out that we do not do it very well.

As a writer, I have readers who will have a range of political views. I don't think they look to me for political guidance.