and they shook hands, hit each other on the shoulder, then there was forty feet of distance between them and nothing to do but drive away in opposite directions. Within a mile Ennis felt like someone was pulling his guts out hand over hand a yard at a time. He stopped at the side of the road and, in the whirling new snow, tried to puke but nothing came up. He felt about as bad as he ever had and it took a long time for the feeling to wear off.

I wish I knew how to quit you.

Wonderful ... I was up all night reading it, laughing and crying out in horror.

Archie was an expert at dividing the affairs of life into men's business and women's business. An empty cupboard and a full plate were the man's business, a full cupboard and an empty plate the concern of the woman.

Ordinary parties, he thought, were subtle games of sexual and social badminton.

All the travelin I ever done is going around the coffeepot looking for the handle.

If you get the landscape right, the characters will step out of it, and they'll be in the right place.