My own experience is that once a story has been written, one has to cross out the beginning and the end. It is there that we authors do most of our lying.

Please, understand that your life is bad and dreary!

I kept thinking how marvellous it would be if I could somehow tear my heart, which felt so heavy, out of my chest.

People are far more sincere and good-humored at speeding their parting guests than on meeting them.

The critics suppose that it is easy to write a play. They aren't aware that writing a good play is difficult and writing a bad one is twice as hard.

...and with a burning pain in my heart I realized how unnecessary, how petty, and how deceptive all that had hindered us from loving was. I understood that when you love you must either, in your reasonings about that love, start from what is highest, from what is more important than happiness or unhappiness, sin or virtue in their accepted meaning, or you must not reason at all.

Reason and justice tell me there's more love for humanity in electricity and steam than in chastity and vegetarianism.