At the door of every happy person there should be a man with a hammer whose knock would serve as a constant reminder of the existence of unfortunate people.

When describing nature, a writer should seize upon small details, arranging them so that the reader will see an image in his mind after he closes his eyes. For instance: you will capture the truth of a moonlit night if you'll write that a gleam like starlight shone from the pieces of a broken bottle, and then the dark, plump shadow of a dog or wolf appeared. You will bring life to nature only if you don't shrink from similes that liken its activities to those of humankind.

In Russia there is no philosophy, but philosophize everything, even the small fry.

In short stories it is better to say not enough than to say too much, because, because--I don't know why.

It's better to live down a scandal than to ruin one's life.

Perhaps the feelings that we experience when we are in love represent a normal state. Being in love shows a person who he should be.

What a delight it is to respect people!